Summary
- 1Prologue – January 5
- 2Stage 1 – January 6
- 3Stage 2 – January 7
- 4Stage 3 – January 8
- 5Stage 4 – January 9
- 6Stage 5 – January 10
- 7Stage 6 Part A – January 11
- 8Rest Day – January 13
- 9Stage 7 – January 14
- 10Stage 8 – January 15
- 11Stage 9 – January 16
- 12Stage 10 – January 17
- 13Stage 11 – January 18
- 14Stage 12 – January 19
The Dakar Rally heads to Saudi Arabia for the fifth time, with the promise of unseen sections and the first-ever 48hr stage. Let’s take a look at the route of the Dakar Rally 2024...
Racing from AlUla to Yanbu on the shores of the Red Sea, the route for the 2024 Dakar Rally covers 7,891km in total with 4,727km of timed specials, taking the 778 competitors deep into the interior of Saudi Arabia, from verdant oases to the towering dunes of the Empty Quarter. While the Empty Quarter is at the heart of this year’s rally, nearly 60 percent of the course will be new to the Dakarists, as will a 48-hour Superstage that promises to test the endurance and ingenuity of the racers to the extreme.
27 minuta
Route
Covering 5,000km, the Dakar Rally 2024 is made up of 1 prologue, 12 challenging stages and 14 days of racing.
01
Prologue – January 5
- Start: AlUla
- Finish: AlUla
- Total: 158km
- Special: 28km
This is a condensed stage of the Dakar, where participants will weave between rocks, navigate sandy tracks, and even venture off-road. The primary mission of the prologue will be to place the drivers in a coherent order.
02
Stage 1 – January 6
- Start: AlUla
- Finish: Al Henakiyah
- Total: 532km
- Special: 405km
The Rally starts in earnest with a new stage which takes the Dakarists over rocky terrain in a race around old volcanoes to the first bivouac, near the town of Al Henakiyah.
Kevin Benavides stretches before racing
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Bikes: With six Dakar winner’s trophies between them, all eyes were on Kevin Benavides, Toby Price and Sam Sunderland at the start of the Dakar, only for Botswanan rider Ross Branch to steal the lead in a race over blistering black volcanic soil, claiming his fourth stage victory. But the favourites finished a tough stage well in contention for the front.
Cars: An upset in the cars race, too, where Dakar legends Stéphane Peterhansel, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Carlos Sainz share a massive 22 Dakar crowns between them. But while challengers Al-Attiyah, Peterhansel and Sébastien Loeb all suffered a flurry of punctures thanks to jagged volcanic rocks, it was Guillaume de Mevius of Belgium who took the win. Sainz was just 1min 44secs behind him with 2009 champion Giniel De Villiers in third.
Originals: Nephew of the legendary Heinz Kinigadner, Tobias Ebster, 26, is making his Dakar debut in the ultra-tough Originals category. He’s already won the Bajas World Cup final in Dubai in 2022 and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in 2024 in the Rally2 category. Formerly known as Malle Moto, the Originals is another level: in the purest tradition of the Dakar, racing unsupported, camping under the stars and making their own repairs in the spirit of the original racers from 1978. “My objective for 2024 is clearly to win in my category and then I’ll contest the full W2RC.”
03
Stage 2 – January 7
- Start: Al Henakiyah
- Finish: Al Duwadimi
- Total: 662km
- Special: 470km
After tough and technical, Stage 2 provides the first long day’s rallying, with lots of fast stretches of racing, where the riders can test the pace of their machines, although the day is punctuated with a taxing 30km of dune bashing. At the end of the day’s action, they’ll pass by the palace built by the founder of Saudi Arabia, Ibn Saud.
Seth Quintero will race with Toyota in the Dakar Rally 2024
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Cars: Stéphane Peterhansel claimed his 50th stage win at the Dakar Rally, matching Ari Vatanen’s record set in the '80s in his dominant Peugeot and Citroens. He can put that record alongside the 33 stage wins M Dakar claimed on a bike – matched only by Cyril Despres – and with plenty of Dakar ahead of him to extend the record...
Bikes: A distinctly South American flavour to the podium in the bikes, where Argentina’s new Rally Raid World Champion Luciano Benavides crossed the line second, sandwiched between Chileans Nacho Cornejo and Pablo Quintanilla.
04
Stage 3 – January 8
- Start: Al Duwadimi
- Finish: Al Salamiya
- Total: 733km
- Special: 440km
After a day of sprinting, the first marathon stage of the Dakar 2024, taking in tyre-bursting sections of jagged stones and expanses of sand and dunes. At the end special, the competitors only have two hours to work on their vehicles before they’re locked in parc fermé in the marathon bivouac.
Sébastien Loeb passes race leader Yazeed Al-Rajhi
© Eric Vargiolu/DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Cars: A thrilling race as surprise package of 2023, Lucas Moraes claimed his first stage victory, crossing the line just nine seconds ahead of Mattias Ekström, having taken the lead from the Swede at the 300km mark. Yazeed Al-Rajhi remains the talk of the rally as the Saudi leads the initial standings.
Bikes: Kevin Benavides claimed the stage win in the first half of a marathon stage that included a 438km special. After a miserable 2023, two-time champion Sam Sunderland still couldn’t catch a break and was forced to retire just 11km into the special after mechanical problems saw him lose three-and-a-half hours and drop out of contention. Meanwhile Toby Price and Skylar Howes came to the aid of German rider Sebastian Bühler, who crashed out of the rally with a back injury.
05
Stage 4 – January 9
- Start: Al Salamiya
- Finish: Al-Hofuf
- Total: 631km
- Special: 299km
The second half of the marathon sees a shorter and faster run toward Al-Hofuf, a large city filled with date palms and within the Al-Ahsa Oasis – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the terrain is faster and easier, the course is tough to navigate and any mistakes could be costly. Tomorrow, the Dakarists head into the Empty Quarter…
Dakar Rally 2024: Toby Price is ready to race
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Cars:Sébastien Loeb made short work of this fast stage as last year’s runner-up opened his account for 2024 with victory in the Prodrive Hunter. Local hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi retains the overall lead with Nasser Al-Attiyah close behind. Sadly the man who took over Nasser’s drive at Toyota, Seth Quintero, dropped out of contention when the young American’s engine blew. The Californian had to be towed back to the bivouac, collecting a crushing 20-hour penalty in the process, but will race on to add experience to his considerable skills.
Bikes: Nacho Cornejo used his fearsome navigation skills and high speed to win the stage and claim the overall lead. It’s his eighth stage win, although he trails compatriot Chaleco Lopez on 11 bike stage wins, for the title of Chile’s king of the dunes.
06
Stage 5 – January 10
- Start: Al-Hofuf
- Finish: Shubaytah
- Total: 727km
- Special: 118km
After the vast distances covered so far, a 118km special should be straightforward, but the Dakarists face a long road section to reach the rendezvous, as they journey deep into the forbidding Empty Quarter. Starting before dawn and in action until long after sunset, towering dunes lie before them ready to drain their energy and smash their suspension. Expect average speeds to plummet as the going gets extra tough.
What happened:
Cars: Defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah chasing a hat-trick of consecutive Dakar victories, took his first win of 2024 in the 645 kilometres from Al Hofuf to Shubaytah as the Dakar moved into Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter for the first time this year. It also means the Qatari has now won Dakar stages with seven different manufacturers. All eyes though are now on the 48hr Chrono stage ahead of Saturday’s rest day.
Bikes: Another triumph for a desert specialist as Pablo Quintanilla took his eighth career stage win, but 17 riders are there or thereabouts in the close competition ahead of the unknown 48Hr Chrono, including the Aussies Toby Price and Daniel Sanders and the Benavides brothers.
Challenger: Chaleco Lopez claimed his first victory of ’24 to close on front runner Eryk Goczal – his 25th stage win overall – with Austin Jones second on the day.
07
Stage 6 Part A – January 11
- 48hr Chrono Superstage
- Start: Shubaytah
- Finish: Shubaytah
- Total: 727km
- Special: 532km
Another marathon stage, but with a twist or two to neutralise the advantage of the factory teams. Firstly, the stage-opening bikes and cars will follow a different route, making navigation much harder, especially with some waypoints hidden along the track.
And the Dakarists only have until 4pm to get as far along the stage as possible before pulling in to one of eight bivouacs along the route. In the bivvy, they’ll have access to minimal provisions and camping materials while their machinery is locked away until morning. They’re then back on track from 7am as they race back to Shubaytah and a rest day.
Dakar Rally 2024: Carlos Sainz leads the way into the Empty Quarter
© Eric Vargiolu/DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Cars: Local hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi was forced to retire after his Toyota landed heavily coming over a dune bringing an end to the Saudi’s campaign. That freed Carlos Sainz to zip past his friendly rival Nasser Al-Attiyah and lead a phalanx of Audis into the Empty Quarter with Stéphane Peterhansel and Mattias Ekström behind him. But a series of setbacks cost Peterhansel valuable time: first a puncture and then the hydraulic jack broke down, leaving the 14-time champion stranded. His Dakar looks to be all but over. That opened the door for 2023 runner-up Sébastien Loeb to claim third in the Prodrive Hunter. Overall, it's Carlos Sainz is leading from Ekström with Nasser Al-Attiyah third.
Bikes: Skylar Howes ran out of luck and was forced to retire and Pablo Quintanilla ran out of fuel losing over an hour. But Joan Barreda brushed off his cracked ribs to set the early pace in what will be Bang Bang’s last Dakar Rally. Adrian van Beveren took the win ahead of Ricky Brabec, with Aussie duo Toby Price and Chuckie Sanders third and fourth. Overall, the race is too close to call with the top 10 riders separated by just over one minute.
Challengers: Marke Goczał continues to lead, but a good morning for Mitch Guthrie saw the American close the gap and in the afternoon, Cristina Gutierrez close to second overall.
Stage 6 Part B – January 12
Sébastien Loeb chases down leader Carlos Sainz
© Eric Vargiolu/DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Cars: After a night of camping under the stars, Sébastien Loeb emerged from the Empty Quarter triumphant and closing the gap to Carlos Sainz and Mattias Ekström. But having claimed race leader Yazeed Al-Rajhi and effectively knocked out Stéphane Peterhansel, the desert sands added Nasser Al-Attiyah to the list of walking wounded. The defending champ got stuck in sand on the first leg and broke the steering arm of his Prodrive Hunter in a heavy landing. He lost 2hrs 45mins waiting for the assistance truck and his Dakar is in tatters.
Bikes: Another Frenchman to the front as Adrian van Beveren led the bikes back to the bivouac in Shubaytah and rest day, the rider deploying the skills he has fine-tuned in the sands at Dakar creator Thierry Sabine’s other creation, the Enduropale du Touquet. Ricky Brabec’s still in the lead but for Toby Price, Daniel Sanders and the Kevin and Luciano Benavides rest day in Riyadh is a chance to regroup ready for week two. Tobias Ebster can look back on a superb first week: the Austrian is the fastest rookie and leads the Originals race by a massive 39 minutes.
08
Rest Day – January 13
- Riyadh
After a marathon stage, an unprecedented two-day special and lots of unseen sections, we’re only at the halfway point. The Bikes and Quads will be flown to the Saudi capital, while the Cars and Trucks face an 800km road section before they can take a break.
09
Stage 7 – January 14
- Start: Riyadh
- Finish: Al Duwadimi
- Total: 873km
- Special: 483km
After the rest day, another long road section before a challenging stage opened up with a technical run through a course that snakes through a canyon and finished with a race back over the dunes before returning to Al Duwadimi.
Sébastien Loeb claimed victory during a tough stage 7
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Cars: Back with a bang after rest day and the Dakarists faced a massive 882km trek, including 482km of special – the longest stage since the race arrived in Saudi Arabia. Sébastien Loeb added another stage win to his tally to close to within 20 minutes of Carlos Sainz. While the Audi driver is managing the lead, there were some tough choices for the team: second-placed Mattias Ekström broke the left rear axle of his RS Q e-Tron. Stéphane Peterhansel came to his aid but had to abandon the Swede to support Sainz’s bid for victory. This is probably Audi’s last Dakar and the team is determined to win that elusive crown.
Bikes: A tough day at the office for Toby Price, Daniel Sanders and the Kevin and Luciano Benavides who remain competitive but can’t make inroads into the half-hour lead of the four riders in front of them. José Cornejo took the stage while there’s a second between Ricky Brabec and Ross Branch in the fight for the overall crown.
Challengers: A big upset in the class as the race leader, teenager Eryck Goczal, was disqualified for an illegal part on his buggy. It hands the race lead to Mitch Guthrie Jr with a comfortable lead over Cristina Gutiérrez in second and Chaleco Lopez third.
10
Stage 8 – January 15
- Start: Al Duwadimi
- Finish: Ha’il
- Total: 678km
- Special: 458km
Another challenge awaited as soft sand became firmer and gave way to rocky, rugged terrain. This time there was a temptation to get the hammer down and push to build a gap or make up lost ground – but they had to be careful as that strategy could have led to costly punctures and pauses for repairs.
Kevin Benavides finished ahead of his brother, Luciano, to claim the win
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Cars: Mattias Ekström returned to the top with a superb stage victory in the race to Hail. Behind him was Stéphane Peterhansel, giving Audi a one-two and relieving some pressure on the front-running Carlos Sainz. The hard-charging Spaniard has the finish line in Yanbu in his sights but Sébastien Loeb is hot on his heels, so having his team-mates open Stage 9 is a useful advantage.
Bikes: A historic one-two as brothers Kevin and Luciano Benavides finish first and second. With Kevin 20 minutes off the lead, it may be something of a consolation prize but with two Dakar titles to Kevin’s name and Luciano’s world championship, this won’t be the last time we see these talented siblings on top.
11
Stage 9 – January 16
- Start: Ha’il
- Finish: AlUla
- Total: 639km
- Special: 417km
More tricky navigation over treacherous terrain as the Dakarists raced over rocky expanses from Ha’il to AlUla. While their eyes were locked on the track ahead of them, this stage offered some magnificent views of the mountains as they raced from one historic city to another.
Mitch Guthrie Jr maintained his advantage over Cristina Gutierrez
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Cars: While the finish line isn’t exactly in sight, the Dakarists chasing the front are running out of stages – and fast. Strategy is the order of the day. Mattias Ekström and Stéphane Peterhansel opened the stage to allow Carlos Sainz to protect his lead. Sébastien Loeb is the only man who can catch him and the Hunter driver is having to keep his foot to the floor to try to chip away at Sainz’s lead. The nine-time WRC champion did exactly that to win the stage, bringing his win percentage to 30.6 percent – the best in the bivouac.
Bikes: Adrian van Beveren found himself opening the stage and deployed his considerable navigation skills to pick the right lines through the sand and take the win.
Challengers: A similar story in the buggies where Mitch Guthrie Jr is protecting a considerable lead from Cristina Gutiérrez. The racing dentist from Spain is too experienced at this level to risk a serious crash and will be focused on keeping defending champion Chaleco Lopez behind. This is also Cristina’s last race in this class as she steps up to the cars for 2024, teaming up with Loeb and Nasser Al-Attiyah.
12
Stage 10 – January 17
- Start: AlUla
- Finish: AlUla
- Total: 609km
- Special: 371km
The mountainous AlUla region with its famous Elephant Rock provides the backdrop for a demanding and technical obstacle course that will push the competitors’ driving skills to the limit. A good starting position is key here, as opening the stage will be a disadvantage, but the front-runners will not want to sacrifice too much time or position. Expect to see the bigger teams reaching for their big book of tactics.
Carlos Sainz battles for the lead
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Cars: And so the Dakar arrives back at the start and Al Ula with a race over sand and rocks that will bring the Dakarists back to Al Ula. Battle resumes between Carlos Sainz and Sébastien Loeb who both need to be wary of costly punctures. But while Carlos has his wingmen in Mattias Ekström and Stéphane Peterhansel, Loeb’s team-mate Nasser Al-Attiyah had to withdraw after another issue with his Prodrive Hunter, marking an end to a frustrating Dakar for the defending champion. It meant that while Sainz lost time thanks to two punctures, he was able to take a spare from Ekström, while Loeb also struggled thanks to two punctures and a broken hydraulic jack. The advantage is with Sainz, with two stages to go.
Bikes: Navigation was the biggest challenge of the day, as well as picking a route over some treacherous and rocky terrain where a fall could spell the end of your rally. Daniel Sanders goaded himself to his best finishing position of 2024 thanks to a pep talk at the refuelling station, after which Chucky got the hammer down to take P4. Up front, overall rally leader Ricky Brabec took his first stage win of the 2024 rally and helped his team-mate Adrian van Beveren close the gap to second-placed Ross Branch.
13
Stage 11 – January 18
- Start: Al Ula
- Finish: Yanbu
- Total: 587km
- Special: 480km
As the Dakar heads to the Red Sea, the penultimate stage will drain the reserves of the already exhausted competitors. Stretching nearly 500km, the special runs through barren, rugged terrain where a small mistake could cost a tyre or even wreck a vehicle. Tired and under pressure to push for the finish, this special could seriously shake up the order in every category.
Lucas Moraes dropped down the leaderboard after a breakdown
© Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool
What happened:
Cars: Some 420km of special represented effectively the final passing opportunity in the Dakar Rally and with “just” 13 minutes to make up, Sébastien Loeb put the hammer down in pursuit of Carlos Sainz. The nine-time WRC champion started making in-roads into the time until disaster struck and he broke his front axle. Once the Prodrive assistance team got him back up and running, it was more a case of damage limitation to protect his second place. Spare a thought, too, for Luca Moraes. The Brazilian who’s been quietly running his own campaign briefly took second from the Frenchman only to break down and drop two hours, dumping him down the leaderboard to P9.
Bikes: A final charge toward the finish in Yanbu and Ross Branch went all out to take the Stage win but nothing looks like shaking Brabec out of that top spot. Bradley Cox – son of Dakar legend Alfie Cox – finished in sixth place behind Toby Price and looks to have the Rally 2 race in the bag.
Challenger: Mitch Guthrie Jr is keeping Cristina Gutiérrez at arms length with the Spaniard closing the gap to the American but with just the 175km Special of Stage 12 to go, it looks like the Challenger trophy is also safely in Guthrie’s hands and heading back to the USA.
14
Stage 12 – January 19
- Start: Yanbu
- Finish: Yanbu
- Total: 328km
- Special: 175km
The last stage – a looping route through the rocky desert outside Yanbu – should be a sprint to the line. In 2023, we saw an upset as the winner’s trophy was snatched from the hands of Toby Price as Kevin Benavides overhauled the two-time champion in a race to the finish line in the bikes classification.
Cristina Gutiérrez makes history
© Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool
Cars: Carlos Sainz races into the history books with his fourth win in the Dakar Rally, taking the chequered flag in Yanbu 1 hour, 20 minutes, 25 seconds ahead of Belgian rookie Guillaume de Mevius for Overdrive Toyota who overhauled Sebastien Loeb, a nine-time world rally champion and last year’s runner-up on the final stage. At 61, El Matador is also the oldest Dakar Rally winner, and the fact that he takes the overall victory without winning a single stage speaks volumes for his consistency, mechanical sympathy and iron self-discipline. King Carlos has now won the Dakar with four different manufacturers – Volkswagen in 2010, Peugeot in 2018 and Mini in 2020. But it’s a historic first for Audi with the German marque expected to leave Rally Raid and focus on F1, where they’ll face the younger Carlos Sainz, who greeted his father at the finish line with a hug. “This car is so special. It's so difficult to manage. It has been so difficult to make it work. ... I'm so happy for Audi," said Sainz Sr., who held the lead from Stage 6 after Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi crashed out. "To be here with my age and to stay at the level, you need to work a lot before. It's not coming just like that. It shows that when you work hard, normally it pays off."
Bikes: There was some consolation for Kevin Benavides as he led Toby Price and his brother Luciano Benavides to win the final stage of the 2024 Dakar Rally, but Ricky Brabec clinched his second trophy ahead of Ross Branch. In the first episode of Red Bull TV’s desert chat show In The Dust, Sam Sunderland said that no matter how hard the Dakar is, when you finish, you can’t wait for the next one to start. For the Benavides brothers, Toby Price, Sam Sunderland and Daniel Sanders, Dakar 2025 can’t start soon enough. Meanwhile, Harith Noah became India’s most successful Dakarist as he claimed victory in the Rally2 class with 11th overall and, having dominated the Originals class, rookie Tobias Ebster from Austria raced unsupported all the way to 20th place overall and class victory.
Challenger: Did we say it was all wrapped up in the Challenger class? Cristina Gutiérrez made history, becoming only the second woman to win the Dakar Rally after she passed her fellow Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team alum Mitch Guthrie Jr after his Taurus suffered engine problems in the final run to Yanbu. Qualified dentist Gutiérrez joins her former mentor, Jutta Kleinschmidt, as an overall winner and will team up with Sébastien Loeb and Nasser Al-Attiyah next year in Dacia’s new team for the Cars class.