Expect excitement in deserts of Abu Dhabi as World Championship shifts up a gear

Here comes the 31st running of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and it’s set to be the biggest yet, featuring over 100 sand racing specialists! The six-day off-road adventure follows the Dakar as the second stop of the brand-new World Rally-Raid Championship.

Dakar winners and world championship contenders are coming to the UAE to do battle on the sands of the magical Rub’ al Khali (Empty Quarter desert). A race course of nearly 1,500 kilometres has been mapped out over dunes of all shapes and sizes for a true test of off-road racing skill and endurance.

Fierce competition is expected in categories including Cars, Bikes and Side-by-sides with the action getting underway with a ceremonial start at the Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday, March 5. The convoy of racers are then plunged into the desert sands surrounding Abu Dhabi until the chequered flags flies on Thursday, March 10.

Coming to contest the car race is Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT), not only the reigning champion of the Dakar but also the winner of last year’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Al-Attiyah will look to increase his early lead in the World Rally-Raid Championship when he races his Toyota Hilux T1+ in the UAE alongside co-driver Mathieu Baumel (FRA).

« Abu Dhabi is always a tough race, but we’ve historically done well there. » – Nasser Al-Attiyah

Just a single point behind Al-Attiyah in the championship standings after the Dakar is WRC legend Sébastien Loeb (FRA). Loeb is out to get them better of his off-road rivals when he gets back behind the wheel of his BRX Hunter with co-pilot Fabian Lurquin (BEL).

« The car was good in the Dakar dunes and with the Desert Challenge almost entirely run over similar terrain, I think we should be fighting for a win. » – Sébastien Loeb

Chasing an eighth win at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is Monsieur Dakar himself, Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA). The Audi RS Q e-tron driver enjoyed steady progress with his new machine at the last Dakar and got to celebrate a stage win in the second week. Now the Frenchman is targeting even better results in 2022 with his co-driver Edouard Boulanger (FRA).

« We had a trouble-free second Dakar week in which we were able to set some nice highlights. Now in Abu Dhabi we want to try and clinch our first podium result. » – Stephane Peterhansel

Elsewhere amongst a strong field of T1 car contenders is Kuba Przygonski (POL), racing a MINI JCW Buggy with co-driver Timo Gottschalk (GER). Przygonski won the 2018 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, a precursor to the current World Rally-Raid Championship.

One of the headline stories so far of the inaugural World Rally-Raid Championship came in the T3 Side-by-side race at the Dakar in January where Seth Quintero (USA) won all but one stage. He’s back in Abu Dhabi with his OT3 and co-driver Dennis Zenz (GER) looking for the overall win this time around.

« I’m excited now to carry on the momentum from just a few weeks ago at Dakar over to this rally. We’ve always had tons of fun in the sand so this rally should be nothing short of a good time. » – Seth Quintero

Competition for Quintero will come from within his own Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team. Look out for Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP)/François Cazalet (FRA), winners of last year’s T3 World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies. Plus there’s a return to rally-raid competition for Guillaume de Mevius (BEL)/Tom Colsoul (BEL) and Mitch Guthrie Jr. (USA)/Ola Fløene (NOR).

« Last year was a very special race for me in Abu Dhabi because we won the championship there. It’s an incredible country and I’m looking forward to getting started and having fun. » – Cristina Gutiérrez

Also gunning for glory in the T3 category will be recent Dakar winner Chaleco López (CHL). The South Racing Can-Am driver has picked up a total of three Dakar wins since switching over to side-by-sides after a distinguished career racing bikes in the desert.

This bike race in Abu Dhabi will feature Sam Sunderland (GBR), fresh from his second Dakar victory in January. Sunderland became the first biker this century to win the Dakar bike race on two different coloured bikes when he delivered GasGas their first-ever win at the desert classic.

« All the top guys are here so I’m looking forward to a good fight. » – Sam Sunderland

The hard work continues for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing who have now gone three editions of the Dakar without a win. Matthias Walkner (AUT) won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge last year and returns to defend his title. Third place at the Dakar earlier this year delivered Walkner a total of 24 championship points, compared with Sunderland’s 38.

« Of course I’m pumped and motivated because Abu Dhabi is normally a super nice rally, with super nice dunes. » – Matthias Walkner

Walkner is joined in the UAE by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team-mates Toby Price (AUS) and Kevin Benavides (ARG). Both bikers are capable of getting on a roll and dominating the six-day rally.

« You’ve got to be quite careful and take your time with everything because it’s always a challenge here. » – Toby Price

There will be tough tests every step of the way at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge for the entire convoy of competitors. Stay tuned to the action March 5–10 to see how our crew of Red Bull Desert Wings cope with the desert conditions and the chase for world championship glory.

World Rally-Raid Championship Standings
CAR RACE TOP 3 : 1. N. Al-Attiyah (QAT) – Toyota, 85 points ; 2. S. Loeb (FRA) – BRX, 84 pts; 3. Y. Al Rajhi (SAU), Toyota, 51 pts…

BIKE RACE TOP 3 : 1. S. Sunderland (GBR) – GAS GAS, 38 points ; 2. P. Quintanilla (CHL) – Honda, 30 pts ; 3. M. Walkner (AUT) – KTM, 24 pts…

LIGHTWEIGHT PROTOTYPE (T3) TOP 3 : 1. F. Lopez-Contardo (CHL) – Can-Am, 90 points ; 2. C. Gutierrez (ESP) – OT3, 72 pts ; 3. S. Quintero (USA) – OT3, 63 pts…

QUOTES
Nasser Al-Attiyah: « Abu Dhabi is always a tough race, but we’ve historically done well there. The new GR DKR Hilux T1+ has been highly reliable so far, and we are looking forward to see how it performs during Round 2 of the W2RC. »

Sébastien Loeb: « We showed that the Hunter had the pace at the Dakar to win and if the event had been trouble-free, I think it would have been even closer between us and Nasser at the end. The car was good in the Dakar dunes and with the Desert Challenge almost entirely run over similar terrain, I think we should be fighting for a win. »

Stephane Peterhansel: « We had a trouble-free second Dakar week in which we were able to set some nice highlights. Now in Abu Dhabi we want to try and clinch our first podium result. Experience shows that around 80 percent of the route of this rally is in large dune mountains, the remaining 20 percent on flatter sandy ground without any tracks. Here in Abu Dhabi the dune crests are the most difficult: If you drive too slowly, you lose time or get stuck. If you’re too fast, you risk jumping into the unknown. »

Seth Quintero: « After Dakar I’m feeling comfortable with the team and the car and have a lot more confidence in myself and my co-pilot. Last year we had so much fun at the Abu Dhabi rally until I unfortunately had to pull out before the rally ended. I’m excited now to carry on the momentum from just a few weeks ago at Dakar over to this rally. We’ve always had tons of fun in the sand so this rally should be nothing short of a good time. »

Cristina Gutiérrez: « I can’t wait for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. After the Dakar, this is now the second round of the new world championship. Last year was a very special race for me in Abu Dhabi because we won the championship there. It’s an incredible country and I’m looking forward to getting started and having fun. »

Mitch Guthrie Jr.: « When things happened like they did at Dakar it was obviously a huge bummer for me at first. It was definitely a tough pill to swallow. But at the same time there was nothing I could do about the situation so it was best to move on quickly. What it has done is give me a lot more hunger for this race in Abu Dhabi and for the rest of the season. After missing Dakar it’s now been a long time since I did any rally-raid racing so personally I’m as stoked as ever to be back to it. I want to go and win some races. »

Guillaume De Mevius: « I’m very excited to go this second round of the championship. The Dakar was not the best Dakar for me as a first one. It was very nice to have the experience of a Dakar, to see everything that happens at the race and in the bivouac. Now for this rally in Abu Dhabi I will try and fight for the win and take as much experience as possible. »

Chaleco López: « I am happy to confirm my presence in the Abu Dhabi rally, which I have ridden twice on a motorcycle in 2012 and 2013, so I feel prepared. I know that Abu Dhabi is a very technical race, with many dunes, where any mistake can cost you dearly. »

Sam Sunderland: « I’m always happy to come back to Abu Dhabi, it’s a great place to ride my bike. I lived in Dubai for 10 years so it’s always special to come back here. It’s normally a really cool race, quite physical. All the top guys are here so I’m looking forward to a good fight. It doesn’t seem like two minutes since we finished the Dakar and now we’re already back to it. »

Matthias Walkner: « Of course I’m pumped and motivated because Abu Dhabi is normally a super nice rally, with super nice dunes. I’ve not been back on the rally bike since the Dakar or been in the desert, but now we’ve had some days of testing and roadbook training before the rally. »

Toby Price: « It’s been a little while since I raced at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. It’s always a difficult rally because of the sand drops and other hazards in the desert. You’ve got to be quite careful and take your time with everything because it’s always a challenge here. It’s round two of the world championship so we’ll be looking to get a decent result. »

Kevin Benavides: « I’m really motivated to be part of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. After the Dakar I took a break and relaxed a little bit, then I started to train again. I want to do the complete world championship. I know I lost some points during the Dakar because I did not finish on the top, but I will try to do my best in Abu Dhabi. »

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