Rally Raid
Everything you need to know about the 2024 Dakar Rally
As nearly 800 racers head to the 1000-year-old city of Al-'Ula, here’s everything you need to know about the Dakar Rally 2024.
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The New Year begins with the 46th edition of the Dakar Rally – the biggest rally raid in the world – in what organisers promise will be the longest and toughest Dakar since the race moved to Saudi Arabia. The route takes the intrepid rally racers over dunes, mountains and deep into the vast desert of Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter as they compete from coast to coast across the Arabian peninsula. Get into gear with our quick guide to the 2024 Dakar Rally.
Catch our regular Dakar Rally studio show Into the Dust, which includes coverage from each stage of the event and interviews with competitors, on Red Bull TV from January 5th, 2024.
29 min
Marathon stage: surviving 48 hours in the desert
Uncover the brutal 48-hour solo marathon stage through the story of first-time Dakar competitor Tobias Ebster.
01
What is the Dakar Rally?
The Dakar Rally is a long-distance rally going cross-country in all-terrain vehicles. Part adventure, part long distance race, the Dakar Rally works by competitors driving on public roads and rendezvous at a liaison where they must then follow a course through waypoints to the finish line. The competitors have to be quick, versatile and super-fit. They drive their vehicles all day over punishingly rough ground, so punctures and breakdowns are very common, making good mechanical knowledge an advantage and a tool kit an essential.
Dakar Rally 2024: Team Audi RS-Q
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
Dakar Rally 2024: Team Audi
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
Dakar Rally 2024: Matthias Walkner demonstrates last-ditch Navigation
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
Dakar Rally 2024: Matthias Walkner in action
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
The racers also must be able to read the track in front of them (at very high speed) for signs of obstacles and be able to compete across a variety of terrains, from sand dunes to rocky valleys, mountains and even marshes. Plus, they have to navigate from checkpoint to checkpoint using a GPS and roadbook or else risk losing time and penalties, although arguably getting lost is all part of the adventure.
Want to see what it's all about? You can keep up to date with all of the action from every single stage of the Dakar Rally 2024 on Red Bull TV.
Watch highlights from the last Dakar Rally below:
9 min
Stage 14: Winners of the 2023 Dakar
Kevin Benavides snatches victory on the last stage to join Nasser Al-Attiyah and Austin Jones on the top step.
02
When does the Dakar Rally 2024 take place?
The Dakar Rally 2024 starts with the Prologue on Friday, January 5, and finishes on Friday, January 19.
03
Where is the Dakar Rally 2024 held?
The Dakar Rally 2024 is held in Saudi Arabia, starting in Al-'Ula, running all the way to the opposite side of the country and then back, finishing in Yanbu.
More from the Dakar Rally
04
How long is the Dakar Rally 2024?
The total Dakar Rally distance is 7,891 kilometres of which 4,727 kilometres are timed specials where the Dakarists compete against the clock. This year features a new concept in the rally – a timed 48-hour race where the competitors have until 4pm to reach one of eight bivouacs for the night. They have minimal kit and supplies and just two hours to make repairs before bedding down for the night and completing the stage from 7am the next morning.
05
How many stages are in Dakar Rally?
The Dakar Rally consists of 12 stages plus a Prologue which opens the event on January 5.
Dakar 2023 champion Kevin Benavides
© DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool
06
How did the Dakar Rally start?
The Dakar Rally began as the Paris-Dakar Rally which was first formally run in 1979 and featured competitors racing from Paris, France, through Spain to Morocco and deep into the Sahara desert and finishing in Dakar, Senegal. It was the vision of the legendary adventurer Thierry Sabine who took part in a race from Abidjan on the Cote d’Ivoire to Nice in France. Getting lost in the Sahara he was miraculously rescued and hit on the idea of how a long-distance off-road race could be the ultimate test of speed, endurance, determination and navigation skills.
Dakar Rally 2024: Nasser Al-Attiyah's Prodrive Hunter
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
07
What are the rules of the Dakar Rally?
The Dakar Rally is the biggest Rally Raid in the world and run to the rules of the FIA W2RC world championship. The Dakarists drive for thousands of kilometres on public roads to reach the rendezvous and the start line of the special stage. Competitors usually start in the order of the classification of the special of the previous stage and failure to reach the start on time incurs a time penalty.
The specific course is kept secret until the start of each stage when the roadbook is handed out to the competitors. While the competitors have GPS, the roadbook is the only source for specific waypoints and hazards along the route. They then race off-road against the clock to complete the stage in the quickest time possible – trying to find their way over unfamiliar and sometimes treacherous terrain and reach the waypoints without getting lost. After the stage is finished, they have to go to the bivouac – a huge and mobile service park with mechanics, catering, hot showers and motorhomes near a host city. On the long-distance marathon stages, Dakarists camp out under canvas, without any support vehicles or mechanics, only competitors can work on the vehicles.
Dakar Rally 2024: Sam Sunderland
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
08
How do competitors navigate the Dakar Rally?
Dakarists have GPS and can follow in the wheel treads of their rivals and follow the roadbook, which sets out the route, the waypoints and the distances to each one plus illustrations of obstacles along the way and possible hazards. The Dakarists have to make their own meticulous notes on the roadbook and follow it through every twist and turn of the Dakar Rally.
33 min
How not to get lost in the desert
Finding your way from point A to point B in the desert becomes a huge challenge for Dakar competitors.
09
What are the different categories of vehicles in the Dakar Rally?
In total, 778 competitors, including drivers and teams, will battle it out in the Dakar Rally 2024 in eight categories: Bike, Quad, Car, Challenger, SSV, Truck, M1000 and Classic. The first Dakar Rally in 1977 – originally the Paris-Dakar – involved cars, motorbikes and trucks with quads and other categories being added later. The Challenger (T3) and SSV (T4) category vehicles are UTVs or buggies designed for off-road racing and were added in 2017. The M1000 category is for prototype vehicles using innovative technology such as the hydrogen-powered KH-7 Epsilon. The Classics were added in 2021 and features vintage vehicles from previous Dakar Rallies, some of which are even 50 years old.
Dakar founder Thierry Sabine
© DPPI
10
What are the most memorable moments in Dakar Rally history?
In the '80s and '90s, the Dakar Rally was dominated by established motorsport stars like Didier Auriol, Ari Vätanen and René Metge with famous faces like Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx taking part. Vatanen and Juha Kankkunen’s victories for Peugeot in the late 80s were both dramatic and also captured the imagination of the public and established the Dakar as a major competition. While in the same era, Jan De Rooy’s crazy six-turbo powered racing Daf trucks which were quicker even that the cars, proved that innovation and eccentricity go hand in hand at the Dakar Rally.
Out of all of those names, Stéphane Peterhansel established himself as the definitive Dakarist and in 2021, he took his 14th victory at the Dakar Rally. The Frenchman has been racing in the event since 1988, taking the first six of his victories on a motorbike before switching to cars. He’s the record holder both for overall wins as well as in both the Bike and Car category, where he’s won with Mitsubishi, Mini and Peugeot, and he’s steering for the top again with Audi.
In 2001, Jutta Kleinschmidt became the first woman to win the Dakar Rally and the German’s legacy continues with front runners like Cristina Gutiérrez, Laia Sanz and Dania Akeel. In 2009, Giniel De Villiers became the first African driver to win the Rally and he was followed in 2011 by the first winner from the Middle East in Nasser Al-Attiyah who heads to the startline for the 46th edition on a hattrick. In 2022, 20-year-old Seth Quintero broke the record for the most stage wins at a Dakar Rally with an astonishing 12 victories.
4 min
History of Dakar
Take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Dakar Rally history.
11
Who are the most successful teams in Dakar Rally history?
With 232 stage wins, the flaming orange KTM 450 has been the bike of choice for the Dakar Rally this century, powering to 19 wins from 2001-2019 and 2023 where they lined up 1-2-3. The previous year, Sam Sunderland took the win for Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing riding what was essentially a red KTM. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing boasts defending champion and two-time winner Kevin Benavides, two-time winner Toby Price and 2018 winner Matthias Walkner. While teams like Peugeot, Mini and Volkswagen have all had spells of dominance, Mitsubishi is the most successful manufacturer with 12 victories dating back to 1985 and the defending champions in 2024 are Toyota.
In Quads, it’s Yamaha whose machines have won every Dakar since 2009 and 15 in total while KAMAZ has dominated the Truck category with 19 wins. Can-Am have provided the winning wheels six times since T4 Lightweights were added to the competition in 2017 and twice in the T3s since 2021.
Winner Sam Sunderland celebrates with 3rd-placed Matthias Walkner
© Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool
12
How has the Dakar Rally changed over time?
The brainchild of French adventurer Thierry Sabine, the Dakar Rally began life as the Paris-Dakar in 1979, running through France to Africa and ending in Dakar, Senegal. It became a fixture on the international motorsports calendar as the first major event of the year, before the Monte Carlo Rally.
The route changed most years with the Dakar going all over Africa, including to Cairo and even to Cape Town. In 2009, the event moved all the way to South America, where the racing continued in Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia as they drove up the Andes and through the Atacama Desert. A decade later, the Dakar switched to the Middle East to drive around Saudi Arabia where it has provide a spectacular backdrop where the adventure can continue.
13
What is the future of the Dakar Rally?
Trailblazing: Stéphane Peterhansel in the astonishing Audi RS Q e-tron
© DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool
After its adventures in Europe, Africa and South America, Saudi Arabia is providing a stable base for the Dakar Rally, initially opening up the country to competitors and the media. The Dakar is all about crossing borders and there are longer term ambitions to take the Dakar into other nations in the Middle East and even back to Africa. The event itself has expanded to include new categories, notably the Challenger races which are more affordable for smaller teams to race in, opening up the competition for the next generation of drivers. And with the aim of being carbon neutral by 2030, the Dakar has become a hotbed of racing technology, notably the Audi RS Q e-tron, as well as the cutting edge M1000 vehicles such as the Tacita Discanto electric bike and the hydrogen-powered KH-7 Epsilon.
KTM rider Toby Price is looking for a third Dakar winner's trophy
© Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool
14
Where can I watch the Dakar Rally?
A regular roving studio show Into the Dust, which includes coverage from each stage of the event and interviews with competitors, will be on Red Bull TV throughout the duration of the 2024 Dakar Rally.
Be sure to download the free Red Bull TV app and catch the Dakar action on all your devices! Get the app here
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