Dakar Rally: Endurance test for Mateschitz, Swarovski and Co.

Why Saudi Arabia? It’s called “Dakar”!

The event has its origins in the legendary Paris–Dakar Rally, which was held for the first time in 1979. In 2009 the race had to be canceled for safety reasons. They moved to South America for eleven years. The rally has been held in Saudi Arabia since 2020. The brand name “Dakar” was so strong that it stuck.

Is this really such an adventure?

No and yes. No, because the bivouacs now resemble small towns and at least the top pilots can relax to some extent. Yes, because the sporting challenge is still extreme. This year, around 8,000 kilometers have to be covered across the deserts of Saudi Arabia in two weeks. The 13 special stages with a total of 4,900 kilometers are raced for time. During the marathon stages, the drivers are on their own and have hardly any outside service options.

Are you still navigating like you used to?

Navigation is still an essential part of the rally. As before, the participants follow the road book in which they made their own notes. You can’t read much more than the compass direction on the GPS system. Above all, it is a means for the organizers to check whether all waypoints have been covered – and a system for emergencies.

Are there any Austrians there?

Yes. The Tyrolean motorcyclist is to be taken seriously in terms of sport Tobias Ebster. After two attempts as a privateer, Heinz Kinigadner’s 28-year-old nephew is competing in the Rally2 classification for the first time as a works driver. Billionaire heir Mark Mateschitz starts under the name Mark Mustermann in the car class and will drive a Toyota. His partner Victoria Swarovski starts in the Challenger class under the name “Vic Flip”.

Who else is going with you?

A total of 325 vehicles are registered. 117 of them are motorcyclists. Of the 800 registered participants, 39 are women.

Who is favorite?

The list of favorites is long and ranges from Sebastien Loeb (51) up to Carlos Sainz Senior (63). The Frenchman is not eligible for overall victory Stéphane Peterhansel (60). Although he is a record winner with 14 Dakar races won, he is competing in the new stock category (see below). The favorite among the motorcycles is last year’s winner Daniel Sanders (31) from Australia.

How many vehicle classes are there?

Seven.

1. Motorcycles: Multiple subcategories.
2. SSV/UTV: Side-by-Side / Utility Task Vehicle. Small, maneuverable two- or four-seaters.
3. Autos: Ultimate (prototypes / the overall winner usually comes from this class) and Stock (near-production vehicles).
4. Challenger: Something in between SSV and Ultimate. Top speed limited to 135 km/h.
5. Mission 1000: Cars with alternative engines. So electric, hybrid and hydrogen drives.
6. Trucks: Near-production or modified trucks with around eight tons. Some are also support vehicles and transport material from bivouac to bivouac.
7. Dakar Classic: Historic vehicles. Sometimes they take a different route.

Can you see this on TV somewhere?

70 TV channels broadcast in 190 countries. The highlights are on in Austria Eurosport to see.