The 45th Dakar Rally will kick off in Saudi Arabia on December 31, 2022. Considered one of the toughest rallies in the world, the event will see more than 1,000 participants from various categories attempt to traverse more than 8,500 kilometers of desert over a period of 14 days.
The Dakar Rally is not for the faint of heart. It’s a test of man or woman and their machines in extreme racing conditions. Dakar expects some 365 cars to traverse dunes, slush, rocks and mountains, as well as unpredictable weather, in the upcoming rally. With just a few hours left until the opening ceremony of the Dakar, here’s everything you need to know about the world’s toughest rally.
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1. Where will the 2023 Dakar Rally be held?
The 2023 Dakar Rally will be held entirely in Saudi Arabia. This is the fourth season of the rally to be held in the country, having previously been held in South America. The original Dakar Rally began in 1979, starting from Paris, France in Europe, and ending in Dakar, the capital of Senegal in Africa.
This year, the route has changed significantly, with the rally running 14 stages, compared to 12 in the previous championship. The rally will begin at a dedicated sea camp on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. A short 10km prologue will kick off on New Year’s Eve, setting the order for the first stage competitors.
Competitors will cover a total distance of 8,549 kilometers, including 4,706 kilometers of special stages
2. How many kilometers did the participants run in the 14 stages?
Competitors will travel a total distance of 8,549 kilometers from the Red Sea to the east coast. This includes 4,706 kilometers of special stages, which will be timed by the organizers. The rally will run through 16 days in Saudi Arabia, including major cities including AlUla, Ha’il and Riyadh, with a day off on 9 January 2023 as the event is halfway through. Most of the second half of the Dakar Rally will take place on the east coast before the closing ceremony in Daman on January 15.
Dakar organizers have made major changes to the course this year, making it more difficult than ever
3. What does the new route offer?
Dakar organizers have made major substantial changes to the rally’s course this year to make it more challenging than ever. Week one will be about a mix of competitors traversing dunes, sand, fast and technical sections. This will be a test of the participants’ driving/riding skills and navigational skills.
Week two will see a change of pace, with more long stages and a few short ones, with lots of dunes in the mix. Competitors are expected to test their stamina by driving only about 200 kilometers per day on the dunes. During this time, competitors will traverse the empty desert desert, which will be the site of this year’s 11th and 12th marathon stages. This means that riders will not be able to get any outside help from the support staff. They will have to drive their vehicles to the finish line entirely on their own.
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4. Who is in the 2023 Dakar Rally?
Dakar saw participation from several major automakers and private players. On the automotive front, the rally will see entries from the likes of Toyota and Audi, as well as teams like Bahrain Raid Xtreme, Century Racing, which is run by M-Sport Prodrive.
On the two-wheel side, the event saw more active participation from manufacturers, including regulars like KTM, Yamaha, Honda, and our own Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the only Indian team in this championship.
The 2023 Dakar Rally will feature more than 365 cars and 1,000 participants in 7 categories
5. Which drivers/riders should I be aware of?
Meanwhile, rally legend Nasser Al-Attiyah returns to Dakar for what will be his 19th rally. The driver is a four-time Dakar winner, which really makes him a competitor to watch. That said, other notable drivers including Sébastien Loeb, Carlos Sainz, Mattias Ekström and Yazeed Al-Rajhi are also targeting first place and will be fighting for it.
On the bike side, Harith Noah will be the only Indian rider in the Dakar Rally. With support from TVS Racing, he will be racing as a Privateer. Hero MotoSports also announced its rally team, which includes four riders including Joaquim Rodrigues, Ross Branch, Franco Caimi and Sebastian Buhler.
Earlier, Indian drivers including CS Santosh (Hero), Aravind KP (TVS) and Ashish Raorane (Privateer) also participated in the rally. Some other names to watch include Gas Gas’ defending champion Sam Sunderland, Honda’s Ricky Brabec and Pablo Quintanella, KTM’s Toby Price and more.
First published date: December 30, 2022 at 20:27 PM CST
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