Historic first success of an electrified drive in the desert
Stéphane Peterhansel celebrates eighth personal victory at Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
Julius Seebach: “Breakthrough for our innovation”

Audi has once again made history in motorsport with technical innovation: Following its debut with four stage victories at the Dakar Rally in January, the Audi RS Q e-tron now clinched its first overall victory – in just its second outing. Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger have decided the second round of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship in their favor. The Frenchmen won in Abu Dhabi with an advantage of 29.49 minutes.

For the eighth time since 1996, Stéphane Peterhansel accepted a winner’s trophy at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – and at the same time his first for Audi. Together with co-driver Edouard Boulanger, the 56-year-old Frenchman led the desert rally continuously from the first stage after a flawless drive.

“Congratulations to Stéphane and Edouard, to Team Audi Sport as well as our fielding partner Q Motorsport. They have achieved a breakthrough for our innovations with this success,” said Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for motorsport at Audi. “We developed the Audi RS Q e-tron in record time. Now, for the first time, a car with an electric powertrain has won a desert rally. That makes me proud. A victory on the second start against the two best contenders of January’s Dakar Rally – winner Nasser Al-Attiyah and record World Champion and Monte Carlo winner Sébastien Loeb – is an outstanding result. It was remarkable that our concept prevailed in even tougher conditions than in January.”

At least two factors noticeably increased the loads: Significantly higher outside temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius in the shade and even higher values in the desert increased the rolling resistance in the soft sand and, as expected, pushed the cooling circuits to their limits. Nevertheless, the alternative drive concept with its combination of electric powertrain with a high-voltage battery as well as the highly efficient energy converter always worked reliably. The Audi RS Q e-tron managed the entire distance without complaint.

The rally also differed significantly from the Dakar Rally in terms of geology: Long and unpredictable dune passages characterized the five stages with a total length of more than 1,800 kilometers. “It wasn’t easy to find the right rhythm on the sometimes very treacherous broken dunes,” reported Stéphane Peterhansel. “Our pace was right and we didn’t take too many risks. Once again, the Audi RS Q etron was a lot of fun.”

The example of the competition showed how complicated the terrain was: As early as on the first day, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Sébastien Loeb lost all chances of good overall results due to damage to their cars.

A puncture on the second day was the only unscheduled stop for Team Audi Sport. Therefore, the lead of 9.30 minutes after the first stage was reduced to 7.49 minutes. After a setback for another opponent on the third stage Peterhansel/Boulanger continuously extended their advantage. “Once again we have learned a lot in this young project,” said Sven Quandt, Managing Director and Team Principal of Q Motorsport. “On the one hand, it was a test for us, but on the other hand it was also about sporting goals. The first victory is of course something very special. The higher temperatures and the long dune passages were an increase compared to the Dakar Rally. All the nicer that the Audi RS Q e-tron ran so flawlessly and that the electric drive concept proved itself even in the toughest conditions.”

Following the historic first success of the Audi RS Q e-tron, Team Audi Sport is pushing ahead with the development of the prototype and preparing for the next event in parallel. The Andalucia Rally is on the agenda from June 6 to 12. A qualifying stage and five legs of 200 to 300 kilometers each await the participants in the south of Spain in the middle of the year.

Source Audi Communications

Today's final finish of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge marks the end of the second round of the World Rally-Raid Championship.
In the FIM bike category, the Dakar scenario was repeated. Sunderland imposed his GASGAS Factory Racing while Honda maintained its supremacy in the Manufacturers' standings with Brabec and Quintanilla on the podium.
In the FIA four-wheel class in W2RC, 'Chaleco' Lopez won the ADDC with his T3 ahead of the three favourites Al Attiyah, Loeb and Al Rajhi, all of whom suffered mechanical problems.
In the W2RC FIA overall standings, after two rounds, Sébastien Loeb is now the leader. He takes the lead off Al Attiyah by one point.

Moto RallyGP: Building on the Dakar success

After his victory on the Dakar last January, Sam Sunderland won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge today just ahead of the two Hondas of Ricky Brabec (+3'08'') and Pablo Quintanilla (+3'56'').

In the overall W2RC standings, the Dakar winner increases his lead (63 points) over Quintanilla (46 points). Matthias Walkner (35 points) finishes 5th. The reigning World Champion just retains his place on the W2RC provisional podium ahead of Ricky Brabec (34 points). The American did the best operation of this second round by moving from 7th place overall to just off the podium.

In the Manufacturers' World Championship standings, the Monster Energy Honda team maintains its advantage thanks to its one-two finish on the podium. Honda now has 83 points against 63 points for GasGas. Just behind, KTM remain in touch with 60 points thanks to 4th and 5th place on the ADDC for Price and Walkner. Hero Motosports took advantage of the performances of Rodrigues and Caimi to take 4th place from Sherco.

Rally 2: Klein, who else?

11th overall, just behind his mentor and compatriot Skyler Howes, and in front of Sherco official Santolino, Mason Klein (BAS World KTM Racing) doubled his score. After his victory on the Dakar he wins the ADDC. He now has 63 points. Romain Dumontier (HT Rally Husqvarna Racing) 2nd in the event, takes this place overall with 44 points. Konrad Dabrowski (Duust Rally Team), 4th in Abu Dhabi, also occupies this place behind Chapelière with 27 points. Paolo Lucci (Solarys Racing), 3rd in the race is now 7th in the category.

Quad: Ahli unbreakable

Unbreakable at home, Abdulaziz Ahli, the ADDC title holder, keeps his crown in front of the other Yamaha Raptors of Juraj Varga and Rodolfo Guillioli.
In the W2RC provisional standings, the Emirati rider is now in 3rd place in the category with 25 points, Juraj Varga is in 5th place with 20 points and Rodolfo Guillioli in 7th place with 16 points.

Drivers' and co-drivers' World Championship: Loeb and Lurquin new leaders

Peterhansel and Prokop, who came especially to test their new T1 Ultimate and T1+ in the heat of Abu Dhabi, were not expecting much. ‘Mr Dakar' wins the race for the 7th time, twenty years after his first victory in 2002, while the Czech driver takes 2nd place.

Al Attiyah, Loeb, Al Rajhi and their co-drivers, the three leading teams in the W2RC standings at the end of the Dakar, each had a dark day due to mechanical problems. They then embarked on a daily hunt for places of honour that yielded precious points (from 1 to 5 for the top 5). Al Attiyah and Baumel proved to be the strongest in this game, winning four stages in a row after their poor start. The Toyota Gazoo Racing team collected 20 points, to which they added the 6 points from their 11th place in the W2RC class. The Dakar winner limited the damage by collecting 26 points.

Loeb and Lurquin, who arrived at the start of the second round one point behind Al Attiyah, took 28 points, two more than their designated rivals. The Frenchman, who finished one point behind in the overall standings, leaves Abu Dhabi with a one-point lead. Loeb leads the W2RC with 112 points to the Qatari's 111.

Al Rajhi (Toyota Overdrive) retains his 3rd place in the overall standings with 70 points.

Przygonski, the first T1 and third fastest driver on the ADDC among the W2RC entries is now 4th with 58 points.

Winner of the W2RC standings at the ADDC, 'Chaleco' has jumped up the provisional World Rally-Raid Championship standings and is now in 5th place with 40 points. Mathieu Serradori (SRT Racing) is 6th with 38 points, Cristina Gutierrez is 7th with 26 points and Halpern in his new Hilux is 9th with 23 points behind Lucio Alvarez.

Constructors: Toyota Gazoo Racing stays the course

The OT3 by Overdrive of the Red Bull Off-Road Junior team left the ADDC with the most points. Cristina Gutierrez and Seth Quintero gave their manufacturer 47 points. The X-raid Mini JCW of 'Kuba' Przygonski, the first T1 among the W2RC entries, takes 25 points, two better than the Toyotas and five more than Loeb’s Bahrain Raid Xtreme Hunter.

In the provisional standings, Toyota Gazoo Racing still holds the lead with 103 points ahead of X-raid Mini JCW (70 points), Bahrain Raid Xtreme (65 points), OT3 by Overdrive (63 points), PH-Sport (29 points) and MD Rallye Sport Optimus (25 points).

T3: 'Chaleco' doubles up

The duel between the Dakar winner and the world female 2021 number one once again turned to the advantage of 'Chaleco'. The South Racing Can-Am driver resisted the repeated assaults of the four Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team members and won ahead of the Spaniard and Seth Quintero. He remains leader (141 points) ahead of Cristina (116 points) and Seth (97th points).

T4: Jones under pressure

After his victory on the Dakar, Austin Jones (Can-Am Factory South Racing) had a difficult first day on the ADDC. He then had to face attacks from the two Goczal brothers and young Lithuanian Rokas Baciuska who saw the opportunity to catch up with the American in the W2RC standings. Austin still holds the lead with 119 points, but only one point ahead of Marek Goczal (Cobant Energylandia) who has pocketed the maximum points possible. The Pole won all the stages plus the general classification, which gives him 50 points. He takes the advantage over Rokas Baciuska with whom he was tied and who now has 107 points. Michal Goczal is at the foot of the podium with 91 points.

T5: Koolen out on his own

Martin Macik started the ADDC with a solo run that he is famous for, but was forced to retire half way through the race. In doing so he left the door wide open for Kees Koolen’s crew (Project 2030) who won the second round of the W2RC and with it took the lead in the general standings. The Dutch team has 140 points against 108 for the Czech team MM Technology.

Source: W2RC/ A.S.O.
Photo: A.S.O/DPPI/B.Roux

Sebastien Loeb has taken a one point lead over Nasser Al Attiyah in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) after taking third place on the final stage of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC). Loeb finished 6th overall of the W2RC competitors putting him on 112 points after two rounds.

The final stage didn’t start well for Loeb, who suffered a double puncture on his sustainably-fuelled Prodrive Hunter dropping time and costing him second place. He then had to drive cautiously for the remaining 200+km without a spare tyre to ensure he finished the stage.

Loeb said: “We had two punctures after we landed very heavily on one side and lost three minutes changing tyres, after that everything was good. We lost a lot of time on the first day when we broke the transmission, but we managed to repair it and get to the end. After this we were able to do four good stages and get good points for the championship, not as many as we hoped, but with Nasser’s retirement on stage one, it was enough to take the lead so we are happy.”

He added: “It was my debut on the Desert Challenge and it was really special and beautiful. We are in dunes like nowhere else. It is very exciting to drive in these conditions, but it is tricky and you can crash very easily with some big drops, but it has been important to gain experience.”

It was Loeb and co-driver Fabian Lurquin’s determination to complete stage one after damaging the drivetrain and having to enact repairs, that ensured they finished so high up the W2RC classification for the ADDC to secure the championship lead.

Gus Beteli, BRX team principal, said: “After the issues on stage one, we are very happy to have come away from the Desert Challenge in the championship lead. It is testament to Seb and Fabian that they never gave up and got the end of the first stage, otherwise we would be well behind Nasser in the championship. The terrain on the next three rounds should suit Seb, so I think we are still on course for our ambition of winning the drivers’ title.”

Throughout the ADDC, the Prodrive Hunter has been running on a sustainable generation II bio fuel made from agricultural waste. Called Prodrive EcoPower it reduces CO2 emissions by 80% compared to petrol and saved around two tonnes of the greenhouse gas over the course of the event. The team will continue to use the fuel throughout the WRRC to demonstrate that such fuels can help fight climate change and can be used in all forms of road transport.

Source Bahrain Raid Xtreme

South Racing Can-Am’s Francisco ‘Chaleco’ Lopez and Marek Goczal claim prestigious wins

The South Racing Can-Am Team secured outright victories in both the FIA T3 and T4 categories at the five-day Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, round two of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).
Chilean driver Francisco ‘Chaleco’ Lopez followed on from his superb win at the Dakar Rally in January to repeat the success in the towering sand dunes and punishing heat of the UAE, the Can-Am driver and co-driver Paulo Ceci finishing in a stunning third overall and first of the crews registered for the new W2RC series. Lopez duly extended his lead in the W2RC T3 standings to 25 points and showed that the T3 Can-Am is now a match for the more powerful T1+ vehicles on select cross-country rallies.

“We are happy to win this race,” said Lopez. “These five days were good training. It was a good fight with Cristina (Gutierrez), she is a good racer. There was a lot of pressure on us for the overall standings. But my co-driver did a good job like always. This rally is very difficult every time. We are indeed very happy to come here as winners of the last Dakar. And now, we have managed to keep this momentum going. For me, it is important to continue winning, not just here but in the next race as well. Our team has done a very good job with the car and the results are showing. Participating and winning is important for me. I have got the experience now, and I feel it is getting easier for me to win.”

Poland’s Marek Goczal and Lukasz Laskawiec held off a fierce challenge from the driver’s brother Michal and Lithuanian team-mate Rokas Baciuska to top the standings in the T4 category in a Can-Am run by South Racing under the Cobant Energylandia Rally Team banner. Goczal reached the finish 22min 18sec ahead of Baciuska and his Spanish co-driver Oriol Mena after his brother dropped time on the last special and slipped to fourth.
Behind Lopez, the South Racing Can-Am Team ran five more cars in the FIA T3 section and six in T4. Zimbabwe’s Conrad Rautenbach teamed up with Dutchman Wouter Rosegaar to finish fourth in T3 and the all-female crew of Germany’s Annett Fischer and Sweden’s Annie Seel were fifth.
Seel raced at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge on a motorcycle in 2000 but this was her first time as a co-driver. She suffered motion sickness in the intense heat of the dunes but was able to guide Fisher to an excellent finish.
South Racing Middle East’s Thomas Bell and his Argentinean co-driver Bruno Jacomy were classified in sixth place and moved up to fourth in the overall series rankings. The all-Argentinean crew of Diego Martinez and Santiago Hansen crashed two kilometres into the final stage and were classified in eighth.
Massive time penalties on the first stage spoiled Hernan Garces’s chances of a top result, but the Chilean and his fellow countryman Juan Pablo Latrach finished ninth.
Behind the Goczal brothers and Baciuska in T4, the Dakar-winning Austin Jones and his Brazilian navigator Gustavo Gugelmin overcame first day troubles to win two stages and finish fifth in T4. Those vital points enabled the American to maintain a one-point lead over Marek Goczal in the W2RC T4 standings.

“It was one hell of a race this year, that’s for sure,” said Jones. “It was hard with all the stuff we managed to fight through. We had a big penalty for not finishing day one and that took us out of the race. We knew we were out of contention for the win but we just kept on going, fighting every day to get points for the championship, We won the last stage and we won on three, so two stages wins, one second and one third. It was a fun race.”

Chile’s Lucas Del Rio and Juan Quintanilla suffered hefty time penalties on the first stage and recovered to finish sixth in T4.

South Africa’s Geoff Minnit and Gerard Snyman were also badly delayed on the opening section and returned to Abu Dhabi in seventh. “This was our first time at this remarkable race,” said the South African. “The dunes were enormous. But we had so much fun. The most difficult day was day two when we crashed. But this is part of learning the dunes and desert. We took wisdom from it.”

South Racing Can-Am Team’s Scott Abraham said: “Another Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge passes, this one less than six months after the last one. This was a great result for the team. It was a convincing victory for Chaleco Lopez in the T3 category and Paulo Ceci. They showed, once again, that the Can-Am is the class of the field after the Dakar victory.

“Marek Goczal and Lukasz Laskawiec managed to do it again after the win in Hail last year. They managed their second cross-country championship victory after a strong showing on Dakar for the team. It was a race of ups and downs but, all in all, a strong result. With the postponement of Kazakhstan, we are looking forward to a small gap before the next race in the calendar in Andalucia in June.”

As it happened

T3 series leader Lopez shadowed Guillaume De Mevius to the finish of the opening stage of 262km to trail the Belgian by 4min 54sec. Rautenbach, Fischer and Martinez came home in fourth, seventh and eighth. Bell recovered well from a drive shaft breakage to reach the finish in ninth, but Garces suffered technical issues and incurred massive time penalties.

Jones arrived in Abu Dhabi leading the T4 category after the Dakar, but he suffered technical issues on the opener and was not able to finish the stage into Qasr Al-Sarab. The American said: “We had a little bit of electrical issue. We were going down the road, everything was good and the car came to a stop. We changed everything we could and we spent time in the desert and then we came back to the bivouac. Now we’ll try to score some points and have fun in Abu Dhabi. It sucks, but that’s racing.”

Marek Goczal claimed the stage win from Baciuska and his brother Michal Goczal. Del Rio and Minnitt failed to finish the stage.

Lopez was again quickest on the second section of 316km through the Liwa dunes and extended his T3 lead over Gutierrez to 21min 01sec. Garces, Rautenbach, Fischer and Bell came home in fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, despite the punishing heat in the desert.

In T4, Marek Goczal claimed the stage win and increased his advantage over Baciuska to 9min 40sec and to 32min 20sec over his brother Michal, who held third. Jones and Del Rio were fifth and sixth and Minnit was running in eighth position.

Lopez ceded 23 minutes to Seth Quintero on the third loop stage of 255km and saw his lead over Gutierrez whittled down to just 1min 12sec. “The third stage was very difficult,” admitted Lopez. “On the first kilometres I broke the front of the car and lost 20 minutes. We don’t have much time so we need to go through the last two stages without problems.”

Garces finished the day’s special with the third fastest time but first day woes had ruined the Chilean’s chances of taking a top result. Rautenbach, Fischer and Bell held fourth, fifth and sixth overall.

Jones pipped Michal Goczal to the stage win in T4 by just 10 seconds, although Marek Goczal retained a lead of 21min 36sec over his brother to take into the fourth day. Baciuska slipped to third in the T4 rankings after drive shaft and rear suspension arm breakages.

Lopez increased his T3 lead to 9min 33sec with the quickest time on the 243km penultimate loop through the dunes around Hameem and Liwa. Garces, Rautenbach and Bell came home third, fourth and fifth on the day.

Marek and Michal Goczal again controlled proceedings in T4, with Marek winning the stage by just 39 seconds from his brother to extend his advantage to 22min 21sec over Baciuska. Jones came home with the third quickest time.

There were no late dramas for either Lopez or Marek Goczal on the short final selective section and they duly secured wins in T3 and T4. Marek Goczal stopped for a long time with technical issues and slipped to fourth, but all the South Racing Can-Ams safely made it to the finish at Yas Marina, near Abu Dhabi.

The South Racing Can-Am Team received valuable support for the race programme from Method Wheels, Tensor Tires, Motul, Bell, Jjuan Brake Systems, Lazer and OMP.

2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – FIA T3 final standings:
1. Francisco Lopez (CHL)/Paulo Ceci (ITA) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 18hr 53min 46sec
2. Cristina Gutièrrez (ESP)/François Cazalet (FRA) Overdrive OT3 19hr 02min 04sec
3. Seth Quintero (USA)/Dennis Zenz (DEU) Overdrive OT3 20hr 16min 06sec
4. Conrad Rautenbach (ZIM)/Wouter Rosegaar (NLD) South Racing ME Can-Am Maverick X3 20hr 58min 12sec
5. Annett Fischer (DEU)/Annie Seel (SWE) Can-Am Maverick X3 21hr 55min 54sec

2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – FIA T4 final standings:
1. Marek Goczal (POL)/Lukasz Laskawiec (POL) South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS 19hr 12min 38sec
2. Rokas Baciuska (LTU)/Oriol Mena (ESP) South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo 19hr 34min 56sec
3. Malgorzata Golda (POL)/Jacek Czachor (POL) Polaris RZR Pro XP Turbo 27hr 32min 55sec
4. Michal Goczal (POL)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS 37hr 51min 35sec
5. Austin Jones (USA)/Gustavo Gugelmin (BRA) South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo 39hr 17min 27sec

Source South Racing

Przygonski finishes third
Bad luck for Schott and Krotov

Jakub “Kuba” Przygonski and Timo Gottschalk finished third in a MINI JCW Buggy at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, round two of the newly-formed FIA World Rally Raid Championship. Their team-mates were out of luck at the desert rally: Stephan Schott and Philipp Beier retired with technical issues. Meanwhile, the event was over before it even started for the MINI JCW Buggy crew of Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov: Krotov discovered shortly after the technical checks that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

For Przygonski and Gottschalk, the key to success was consistency. The MINI JCW Buggy pairing came through the stages without any major problems. Compared to the 4x4, the rear-wheel drive car had to contend with a few disadvantages in the soft sand of Abu Dhabi. However, many of their rivals had to cope with at least one extremely costly incident, which allowed Przygonski and Gottschalk to take third place overall.

Kuba Przygonski: “That was not an easy rally for us. We reached the finish and scored valuable points – we must be satisfied with that. The 4x4 were simply better suited to this terrain, with its many high and difficult dunes.”

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is actually Stephan Schott’s favourite rally. This year, however, it brought the German no luck. His co-driver Filipe Palmeiro tested positive for coronavirus shortly before leaving Portugal, and consequently had to pull out. Fortunately, Philipp Beier, who started the Dakar in an X-raid race truck, was able to step in. However, a technical issue unfortunately forced the duo to retire after day three.

The Rally Kazakhstan, round three of the FIA World Rally Raid Championship, was initially scheduled to take place at the end of April 2022. However, in light of current events, a possible postponement is being discussed.

ADDC overall standings
1. S. Peterhansel / E. Boulanger – Audi – 17h 43m 07s
2. M. Prokop / V. Chytka – Ford – 18h 12m 56s
3. J. Przygonski / T. Gottschalk – MINI JCW Buggy – 19h 12m 00s
4. S. Loeb / F. Lurquin – BRX – 19h 35m 18s
5. N. Al-Attyiah / M. Baumel – Toyota – 37h 27m 20s

Source X-Raid

Gutierrez and Quintero finish second and third in T3 in their OT3s

Thursday, March 10: Overdrive Racing’s trio of Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Sebastien Halpern endured mixed fortunes at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the second round of the new FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, with the front-running duo having to be content with bonus points for individual stage performances.

Al-Attiyah, co-driven by Frenchman Mathieu Baumel, arrived in the UAE with a one-point lead over WRC veteran Sébastien Loeb but a heavy landing damaged a lower suspension arm and a front wheel on the Qatari’s Toyota Hilux on the opening stage and the four-time winner had to play catch up over the next four days once time penalties were imposed.

Al-Attiyah managed to earn 20 points for four stage wins and problems for Loeb meant that he only dropped two points to the Frenchman in the UAE and now trails by a single point. Toyota Gazoo Racing leads the X-raid JCW Team by 33 points in the Manufacturers’ standings.

“When I crossed the finish line of the last stage, I immediately remembered what happened on the first stage,” said Al-Attiyah. “That’s a little bit of disappointment. But to come back strong and win the remaining four stages wasn’t easy and we did amazing job. Our car was working very well and this is testament for our teamwork. This was an amazing race and, as usual, we were really happy to compete and be part of the new World Rally-Raid Championship. We showed the speed and we have the confidence to push at the next race.”

A positive Covid-19 test meant that Al-Rajhi’s regular co-driver Michael Orr was forced to miss out on the Desert Challenge on this occasion and his place was taken by Germany’s Dirk von Zitzewitz. The Saudi held third overall early in the event but he too suffered technical issues and time penalties and reached the finish in 18th place with valuable bonus points for stage performances.

“We had a good final day finishing behind Nasser,” said Von Zitzewitz. “That was a nice ending to a difficult race for us. We were very unlucky on day three with our technical problems. Without that, of course, it could have been a lot better but I think some guys can tell the same story.”

Halpern teamed up with fellow Argentinean Bernardo Graue and switched to an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux for the Abu Dhabi event. He looked to be heading for a useful finish until technical issues intervened on the final stage and pushed him down to 21st overall.

Overdrive Racing also built four OT3 that were registered for the W2RC and entered by the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team. Cristina Gutierrez and François Cazalet reached the finish in fourth overall and second in T3, with Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz coming home in third place in the category for lightweight prototype machines.

Mitch Guthrie Junior and Ola Floene impressing on several stages before retiring after the fourth stage, while the Belgian duo of Guillaume de Mevius and Tom Colsoul retired after the third stage, despite setting the fastest time on the opening selective section.

Al-Attiyah’s challenge for a fourth win in Abu Dhabi suffered a setback from the start, when the Qatari suffered a damaged front right wheel and lower suspension arm close to the stage start and was forced to return to the start area to make emergency repairs. He suffered massive time penalties of 16 hours as a result and slipped to the foot of the rankings.

“Not the rally start we planned for,” said Baumel. “But this is motorsport. After this bad luck landing, our lower arm was bent and we were not able to continue. There are still four stages to get some small championship points.”

Al-Rajhi avoided any major issues to reach the finish of the opening 262km selective section in second place, 9min 30sec behind early leader and eventual winner Stéphane Peterhansel. Halpern came home in seventh place in the third of the Overdrive Toyotas.

“The stage was a lot more difficult than we expected and it was very hot,” said Von Zitzewitz. “After the neutralisation, we found Sebastien Loeb was stopped and we took it easy to make it to the finish. Second in the standings and first in the World Championship.”

De Mevius was the fastest driver in the T3 section, the Overdrive OT3 driver beating the series-leading Francisco Lopez by 4min 54sec. Gutierrez and Quintero came home in third and fifth places. Guthrie Jnr. had been the fastest driver through the first 40km but lost over an hour into the checkpoint at 196km and failed to finish the special.

De Mevius said: “The stage was good for us and we won it. It was a good come back for Tom (Colsoul) because we wasn’t at the Dakar, so it was good to have him back by my side. We did a good job. This place is beautiful with very nice big dunes and a lot of sand. It was a nice stage and the road book was good also.”

Al-Attiyah was repositioned in fifth place on the road for the start of the second 326km loop through the dunes around Hameem and he attacked from the outset to eventually win the stage by 5min 50sec. Al-Rajhi came home in third and maintained second overall behind Peterhansel.

Al-Attiyah said: “Now we will try and win every day to take maximum points like we did today. We did quite a good job, I am quite happy. We have to now work for the points. Today we won five and I hope to win five points tomorrow as well.  It's a disappointment not to win the rally because it is my favourite rally. We need to accept what happened yesterday. This is a motorsport. Now we must try to push the limit of the car, like we did it today.”

Al-Attiyah picked up another five championship points for winning the third 255km stage, the Qatari finishing 5min 16sec ahead of Loeb, as Peterhansel came home in third to conserve his outright lead.

Baumel said: “The stage was a little bit faster than yesterday, some parts of dunes and less difficult. Nasser was pushing and we did a good stage. One more extra point than Sebastien Loeb. We’ll continue that way for the next two stages.”

Al-Rajhi was running as the fourth fastest driver for much of the stage until he stopped with technical issues for over 45 minutes after 206km. Unfortunately, the Saudi was not able to complete the stage and, like Al-Attiyah, he incurred hefty time penalties.

Quintero bounced back from axle issues earlier in the event to win the third stage in T3, the American youngster beating team-mate Gutierrez by 2min 49sec. The Spaniard duly closed to within 1min 12sec of the category-leading Lopez. De Mevius suffered further time losses in the third OT3 and retired from the event.

“The stage was difficult for us because we broke the front left drive shaft,” said Gutierrez. “Then I just tried to reach the finish line to keep the car safe as the rally is long and very hard.”

Al-Attiyah opened the road again on the fourth loop of 243km through the dunes and sandy wastelands of the Al-Dhafra region. He earned another five valuable points for setting a third successive fastest time, the Qatari beating Loeb by 3min 01sec. Al-Rajhi came home in third and Halpern was sixth of the T1 entrants.

Gutierrez dropped 7min 59sec to Lopez in the battle for T3 honous on a stage where Quintero stopped after 155km for around an hour. The American had been the quickest driver on the stage.

Al-Attiyah made it four stage wins in a row on the short 209km sprint through the desert on the return to Abu Dhabi. Al-Rajhi came home with the second fastest time but Halpern was not able to complete the stage.

In T3, Gutierrez claimed the fastest time to secure fourth overall and second in the category, with Quintero claiming third.

The FIA World Rally-Raid Championship resumes in Andalucia in June.

2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – final positions:

1. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA)/Edouard Boulanger (FRA) Audi RS Q e-tron 17hr 43min 07sec
2. Martin Prokop (CZE)/Viktor Chytka (CZE) Ford Raptor RS Cross-Country 18hr 12min 56sec
3. Francisco Lopez (CHL)/Paulo Ceci (ITA) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 18hr 53min 46sec
4. Cristina Gutièrrez (ESP)/François Cazalet (FRA) Overdrive OT3 (T3) 19hr 02min 04sec
5. Jakub Przygonski (POL)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU) Mini John Cooper Works Buggy 19hr 12min 00sec
6. Marek Goczal (POL)/Lukasz Laskawiec (POL) Can-Am Maverick XRS (T4) 19hr 12min 38sec
7. Rokas Baciuska (LTU)/Oriol Mena (ESP) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 19hr 34min 56sec
8. Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Fabian Lurquin (BEL) Prodrive Hunter BRX 19hr 35min 18sec
9. Seth Quintero (USA)/Dennis Zenz (DEU) Overdrive OT3 (T3) 20hr 16min 06sec
10. Conrad Rautenbach (ZIM)/Wouter Rosegaar (NLD) South Racing ME Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 20hr 58min 12sec
16. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Mathieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux 37hr 27min 20sec
18. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Dirk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 37hr 54min 28sec
21. Sebastien Halpern (ARG)/Bernardo Graue (ARG) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 40hr 34min 55sec

FIA T3 – final standings:
1. Francisco Lopez (CHL)/Juan Pablo Latrach (CHL) Can-Am Maverick XRS 18hr 53min 46sec
2. Cristina Gutièrrez (ESP)/François Cazalet (FRA) Overdrive OT3 19hr 02min 04sec
3. Seth Quintero (USA)/Dennis Zenz (DEU) Overdrive OT3 20hr 16min 06sec, etc

2022 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship – standings after round 2:

Drivers
1. Sébastien Loeb (FRA) 112pts
2. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT) 111pts
3. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU) 70pts
4. Jakub Przygonski (POL) 58pts
5. Francisco Lopez (CHL) 40pts, etc

Co-drivers
1. Fabian Lurquin (BEL) 112pts
2. Mathieu Baumel (FRA) 111pts
3. Timo Gottschalk (DEU) 58pts
4. Michael Orr (GBR) 51pts
5. Loic Minaudier (FRA) 38pts, etc

Manufacturers
1. Toyota Gazoo Racing 103pts
2. X-raid Mini JCW Team 70pts
3. Bahrain Raid Xtreme 65pts
4. OT3 by Overdrive 63pts, etc

Source Overdrive Racing

By the end of the penultimate stage of Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the picture is more clear about who can emerge as winners at the finish line tomorrow. In T3, Chaleco strengthened his lead, but Cristina Gutierrez is still less than 10 minutes behind. In T4, Marek Goczal’s 22-minute lead is more reassuring, but the fight for the second position couldn’t be more intense!

T3 (light prototype)

After losing time in Stage 3, Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez really had to put up a superb performance to keep Cristina Gutierrez at bay and build a bit of a gap before the last day, and he did it, clocking the best time, almost 8 minutes in front of the reigning T3 World Cup winner, finishing second today. Third-placed Hernan Garces (+00:11:18) and fourth Thomas Bell were separated by less than 2 minutes.

Conrad Rautenbach finished fifth (+00:18:55), followed by Annett Fischer (+00:32:25), Jean-Luc Pisson (+00:42:42), Diego Martinez (+01:00:10), and Seth Quintero (+01:08:36).

Guillaume de Mevius decided not to take the start after his technical problems yesterday, and this moment actually marked the end of his cooperation with co-driver Tom Coulsoul, who is taking on a brand new challenge, joining ASO.

In the overall classification, Chaleco still tops the standings and has extended his lead to 9 minutes 33 seconds. This can well be enough for the last stage – but don’t allow for any mistakes, as Cristina Gutierrez, currently second, is there, ready to seize any opportunity.
Seth Quintero has lost his hopes for the victory early in the race, but he can take the lowest step of the podium (+01:19:24), however, fourth-placed Conrad Rautenbach is only 13 minutes behind.

Annett Fischer is fifth (+02:33:47), followed by Thomas Bell (+05:00:02), Diego Martinez (+25:41:15), and Hernan Garces (+70:50:13), the latter ones having been handed hefty penalties after some “adventures” earlier.

Interviews:

Paolo Ceci (co-driver of Chaleco Lopez) and Juan Pablo Latrach (co-driver of Hernan Garces):
JPL.: "It was a really nice stage with nice dunes. We started fast and at 55km this guy caught up with us. We tried to keep up with his rhythm but they are too fast."
PC.: "Chaleco drove very fast today, it was a fast stage not like the other one. We are really happy because now we have about 9-10 min on Christina (Gutierrez). Tomorrow is the last stage, we have to stay concentrated."
JPL.: "Navigation is quite simple in this race because when you have a lot of dunes and you have a lot of way points and you can follow the “arrow” strait 5-6 km. In this race I’m more helping the driver to see the right side of the dune: if it’s flat or broken. It’s another type of job."
PC.: "I spoke with Chaleco a few times to help him understand how to do the dunes, how to go, it’s not the same for the Dakar or Morocco. We have to stay all the time concentrated."

Annett Fischer: "This is my 2d Abu-Dhabi Desert Challenge in the race car. I’ve been here many times but in the service part of the team. So now it’s a 2d time in the race car with my lovely co-driver Annie. Until now we had a really good race. Especially last two days. Beautiful dunes to drive, we didn’t have any issues at all – which is here not easy, because a lot of drivers here had problems: rolled the car or broke something. So we are lucky that we had nothing until now, we have a really good car from South Racing. I’m super happy about that and we have a lot of fun."

T4 (standard SSV)

It was another good day for the Goczal family, with Marek winning (again) and Michal taking second place with a gap of only 39 seconds, despite taking a bit more cautious approach. Austin Jones clocked the third time, at 4 minutes 8 seconds, while Rokas Baciuska finished fourth, less than thirty seconds from his US rival.

Poland’s Robert Szusztkowski was fifth, but with a gap of 56 minutes to the stage winner. Generally, Geoff Minnit had a good day but lost some time with what his co-driver Gerhard Snyman called a “rookie error” in navigation. The South African duo eventually finished sixth at 01:13:58. Seventh was Malgorzata Golda (+01:24:43), while Lucas Del Rio wasn’t able to finish the stage.

In the overall classification, Marek Goczal is closer than ever to a huge victory, having an advantage of more than 22 minutes with only one stage to go. Behind him, however, the battle is fierce among Rokas Baciuska and Michal Goczal, with a mere 13 seconds separating the to – grab the popcorn and watch the match on Thursday!

Malgorzata Golda holds the fourth position firmly, however, her gap to the leader is over 7 hours now. Austin Jones is fifth, followed by Lucas Del Rio, Geoff MInnit, and Robert Szustkowski, all with huge penalties due to previous problems.

Interviews:

Austin Jones: "This is the finish of the 4th stage of Abu Dhabi. It was kind of relax for us, we drove nice and comfortable. The 3rd place for us. Happy with that. A lot of dunes, a little bit more open at the end, so we could get up the speed and it's cool. It gave us some break from the dunes. We are excited for one more day tomorrow."

Szymon Gospodarczyk (co-driver of Michal Goczal): "For us, it was a very good stage today, we decided to drive a little bit slower than the previous stage so everything was correct, we are really happy – we are second, after Marek. It was a tough stage because it was really hot today, especially at the finish, the engine was almost 100 degrees, so we’ve been a little bit scared to break something. But we are happy, we are here without any troubles. Now in a nice accommodation in South Racing team, we can relax a little bit before tomorrow."

Oriol Mena (co-driver of Rokas Baciuska): "Today was a really nice day. It’s my 3d race with my driver. We’ve started in Morocco, after was the Dakar, now we are here. We are making a really good job. One day of the race left – many things can happen. But in general, we are really happy.
The race was nice, navigation was not really difficult. In the desert, in the sand, you can nearly see the tracks from the guys in front of you. But still, you need to follow the roadbook because you need to be sure that you are on the right way. But the main thing here is the high dunes, how to cross the dunes, so you need to be very attentive, we are doing a good job and I hope to cross the finish line tomorrow."

Text: Rita Konya and Sveta Amelichkina
Photo: South Racing Can-Am Team / MCH

Sebastien Loeb continued from where he left off yesterday in the Arabian dunes, securing his third consecutive second place on stage four of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

The result means the Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) driver scored four more points towards his FIA World Rally-Raid (WRRC) campaign, but has also closed the gap to WRRC competitors ahead of him on the leader board and moved up a place to 7th overall.

The ADDC is quite different terrain to any of the other events in the WRRC, being run almost entirely on sand and dunes. It is also the first time Loeb has competed on the event and he is up against many competitors with much more experience of the Desert Challenge.

Loeb said: “It was a good day no mistakes, no problems, I just tried to keep a good rhythm to finish the stage and score some points for the championship, but also to try and climb up the general classification. Overall, it was not a very difficult stage. It was a nice blend between dunes and fast sections. It’s my first Desert Challenge and I’ve learnt that the dunes are really tricky. There are much more of them than on any other event, but it’s a really good experience and that will be really helpful for the future."

Gus Beteli, BRX team principal, said: “Our focus is on the long term goal of the championship title so second place for the third time is a good result. Nasser is in the terrain he loves and he is very fast and difficult to catch, while Seb is learning every day and showing how fast the Hunter is in the dunes. If we can gain a place by the end of the event tomorrow and move up to 6th that would be great, but our target will be to come home safely and head to the next round neck and neck with Nasser.”

Throughout the ADDC, the Prodrive Hunter has been running on a sustainable generation II bio fuel made from agricultural waste. Called Prodrive EcoPower it reduces CO2 emissions by 80% compared to petrol and will see the team save around two tonnes of the greenhouse gas over the course of the event. The BRX team estimates that if all the competitors had been using this fuel a saving of around 60 tonnes of CO2 emissions could have been made.

Source Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX)

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price has delivered his best stage result of the 2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge so far, placing second-fastest on the tough, 396-kilometer day four. Opening the stage, Matthias Walkner finished in 13th place, while unfortunately, after suffering a technical issue, Kevin Benavides brought his KTM 450 RALLY home in 26th.

Although temperatures in the Liwa Desert weren’t quite what they have been during earlier stages of this second round of the FIM Rally-Raid World Championship, the mixture of rocky pistes and large, rolling dunes still put up a huge challenge for all competitors on today’s 243-kilometer timed special.

Coming into his own, and finding a strong rhythm as the rally progresses, Toby Price has been quietly moving up through the ranks of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Placing as runner-up on the penultimate stage of the event has elevated the experienced Aussie to third place in the provisional rally standings – less than two minutes behind the leader. Although Price will start near the front on Thursday’s final stage, with the special only covering 209 kilometers, the two-time Dakar winner is well-placed for a strong finish to the rally.

Toby Price: “I’m pleased with today, and it feels good to be right up at the sharp end. It wasn’t quite as warm out there today, but the stage was still really challenging with some big dunes and tricky terrain. I set off well, caught Skyler (Howes) by around kilometer 60, and after that we just tried to keep on pace with the guys in front. The whole race so far has been pretty demanding physically, but I still feel in good shape. Time to get some rest now and then it’s back to full gas tomorrow for the final day back to Abu Dhabi.”

As the first rider into the timed special on stage four, Matthias Walkner had the unenviable task of opening the route and being the first to navigate through the mixed terrain. Despite the pressure, the reigning world champion was able to stay out in front for the entire 243 kilometers while also maintaining a good, solid pace. Completing the day in 13th, eight and a half minutes down on the winner, Matthias dropped down to sixth in the event standings, but will now enjoy a strong start position for tomorrow’s final sprint to the finish line.

Matthias Walkner: “That was a really tough stage for me – one of the hardest in my life! With so many off-piste sections, leading out and having to open the stage was really tricky. You have to remain 100% focused for the whole special while trying to keep up a good strong pace. My main goal was to lose the minimum of time, which I managed to do. It was only Sam (Sunderland) that caught me, so that is really encouraging. I’ve been on the back foot since the first day really, but I’ve given it my all throughout the whole rally – riding at 110% on every stage. It’s exhausting, and I’ll definitely be glad to see the finish line tomorrow, but I’m super-happy with my riding, and the bike has been perfect, too.”

Kevin Benavides was in great shape early on in today’s stage, pushing hard and fighting for a place in the top five on time. Unfortunately, before the second checkpoint, a technical issue caused him to slow his pace, putting an end to his challenge. Despite the setback, the 2021 Dakar Champion used his skill and experience to bring his KTM 450 RALLY home to the finish, placing 26th. Benavides now lies 13th overall, but will try to attack tomorrow’s final stage, to finish his rally on a high.

Kevin Benavides: “I started really well this morning, I knew I had the speed, and I knew I could make up time on the others, but unfortunately it just wasn’t to be. Around the 60-kilometer mark I had a small technical issue that slowed my pace and from there I just tried to bring it home safely and get to the finish. It’s disappointing of course, especially as I knew I had a good chance to challenge for the top spots, but these things happen, and you just have to move on. Hopefully I’ll have a good day tomorrow and finish the race with a strong stage result.”

Stage five of the 2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will cover a total distance of 371 kilometers and feature a timed special of 209 kilometers raced against the clock.

Provisional Results – Stage 4 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2022

1. Luciano Benavides (ARG), Husqvarna, 3:04:10
2. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 3:04:42 +0:32
3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Honda, 3:05:14 +1:04
4. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 3:06:02 +1:52
5. Joaquim Rodrigues (PRT), Hero, 3:07:07 +2:57
Other KTM
13 Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 3:12:36 +8:26
26. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:55:07 +50:57

Provisional Standings – Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2022 after 4 of 5 stages

1. Sam Sunderland (GBR), GASGAS, 14:33:27
2. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Honda, 14:33:50 +0:23
3. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 14:35:09 +1:42
4. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 14:36:01 +2:34
5. Joaquim Rodrigues (PRT), Hero, 14:38:36 +5:09
Other KTM
6. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 14:40:47 +7:20
13. Kevin Benavides (ARG), KTM, 15:23:22 +49:55

Source Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

On the eve of the finish of the second round of the World Rally-Raid Championship, Dakar bike category winner Sam Sunderland (GasGas Factory Racing) is ideally positioned to hold his overall lead. On four wheels, ‘Chaleco' Lopez, who is still 3rd in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, remains the highest ranked driver in the W2RC. The Dakar T3 winner has even regained the lead over his closest rival Cristina Gutierrez.

Moto RallyGP: Sunderland ideally positioned

The gaps between the bikers on the ADDC are usually as close as the dunes of the Liwa desert. And the inaugural edition of the second round of the W2RC was no exception. This morning, at the start of the penultimate stage, nine factory machines were within ten minutes of each other in the provisional overall classification.

Today, Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna Factory Racing) won the stage ahead of Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and the Hondas of Quintanilla and Brabec. Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Sunderland (GasGas Factory Racing) finished 13th and 15th on the day.

In the provisional overall standings, Sam continues to lead the ADDC. Quintanilla is 2nd (at 23'') and Price is 3rd (at 1'42''). Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) is back in 4th place at 2'34". The KTM of the reigning World Champion dropped to 6th place (at 5'09''). Kevin Benavides, 3rd in the provisional standings this morning, finished the stage with the gearbox locked in second. As on the Dakar, he loses any chance of a result on the second round of the W2RC.

Tomorrow morning, for the last special stage, Price, Quintanilla and Brabec will start in 3rd, 4th and 5th position and are within spitting distance of the provisional leader. But Walkner will start 13th and 'Sundersam' 15th - ideally placed to take advantage of the openers’ tracks and pull back time from them.

Dakar winner Sam Sunderland, already in the lead, has all the cards in his hand to win tomorrow. On his side, like last January, the reigning World Champion and winner of the ADDC 2021 Matthias Walkner has managed to build a springboard for tomorrow. The finale of the second round of the W2RC promises to be thrilling.

Moto Rally 2: Klein again

Mason Klein (BAS World KTM Racing) won Rally 2 again today, ahead of Paolo Lucci and Romain Dumontier. In the provisional general standings, the American leads the Frenchman from HT Rally Husqvarna Racing by more than twenty-five minutes. The Italian from Solarys Racing is 3rd. All these youngsters are involved in Rally2 W2RC class, the one dedicated to showcase the next generation.

Quad : Ahli is on top

Local rider Abdulaziz Ahli is still unbeaten. Juraj Varga and Rodolfo Guillioli complete the podium of the day and are installed in that order in the provisional general classification.

Drivers' and Co-drivers' World Championship:

Out of contention for victory on the ADDC since their mechanical problems, Al Attiyah, Loeb and Al Rajhi, the three leaders of the provisional World Championship after the Dakar, all have the same objective: to finish as high as possible in the standings of each special stage in order to collect the maximum number of W2RC daily points. Al Attiyah won his third consecutive stage today ahead of Loeb (3'01'') and Al Rajhi (8'04''). Peterhansel finished more than twelve minutes behind the Qatari, ahead of Prokop (Benzina Orlen Team), Halpern (Toyota Overdrive), Przygonski (X-raid Mini JCW) and Serradori (SRT).

In the provisional standings of the ADDC, 'Peter' has a half hour lead on the Czech who he has to hold off tomorrow if he wants to take his 7th ADDC victory. Both are here to further develop their cars and are not involved yet in W2RC.

Third in the provisional overall standings, 'Chaleco' (South Racing Can-Am) remains the fastest of the drivers in contention for the W2RC FIA Title (T1 – T2 – T3 – T4). Tomorrow he will have to maintain the lead he increased today over Gutierrez (Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team) and resist the possible comebacks of Marek Goczal in his T4 Can-Am Cobant Energylandia, Przygonski in his buggy and Baciuska in his South Racing Can-Am.

T3: 'Chaleco' gets back on track

Leader of the ADDC this morning with only a minute and a half lead over Cristina Gutierrez, the Dakar winner is now 9'33'' ahead of the reigning world number one. Cristina's teammate Seth Quintero was forced to stop for a while and finished more than an hour behind. Herman Garces Echeverria (South Racing Can-Am) took advantage of this to climb on the podium in T3 like yesterday.

T4: The Goczal brothers neck and neck

The Goczal brothers were once again neck and neck today. Marek finished forty seconds ahead of Michal. Austin Jones and his team-mate Rokas Baciuska (South Racing Can-Am) finished four minutes behind the Polish leader who increased his lead in the provisional general standings over the Lithuanian (22'21''). Michal Goczal is still 3rd, but now only fifteen seconds behind him. The youngest of the Goczal family will try everything tomorrow to climb on the T4 podium behind his brother!

T5: Kees Koolen again

Koolen, De Graaf and Van Uden, the Iveco Project 2030 trio, have had a free hand since yesterday and the withdrawal of Martin Macik, leader of the W2RC provisional. The Dutchmen are heading for victory in the ADDC and should be able to score some big points in the championship!

Source W2RC / A.S.O
Photo: A.S.O/DPPI/J.Delfosse

Sam leads overall standings by 23 seconds
GASGAS RC 450F performs perfectly in the dunes
371km final day of racing remains

One to go and still holding strong at the top of the results! Thanks to his impressive pace, and a decent helping of grit and determination, Sam Sunderland has safely completed the penultimate stage of the 2022 Abu Dhabi Desery Challenge in ninth place, maintaining his lead at the top of the overall timesheets. As the second rider into the 243km special, Sam did a superb job, losing the minimum amount of time to his chasing rivals, and producing a near mistake-free stage while pushing hard for just over three hours of racing.

Sam Sunderland: “Day four done, and I’m still in the overall lead, but it looks like things are really close at the top, just like Dakar. It was a tough stage again today with lots of rocky pistes and some big dunes. I caught Matthias (Walkner) around kilometer 80 and then rode with him for most of the day – he was doing a really good job of opening, so I just kept to a good, solid pace myself. It feels good to ride together like that and to be honest, I’ve been feeling a lot stronger in general as the race goes on. At the beginning of the event I felt a bit rough, but over the last couple of stages I’ve really found my rhythm and got into the swing of it. I’m happy with the bike and physically feeling good for the last stage, so we’ll see how we go.”

It was tough out there – it always is in the FIM Rally-Raid World Championship – but setting off near the front, Sam knew he had to get his head down and complete the stage without any mistakes to carry his race lead into the final day.

After catching up to Matthias Walkner, who had topped the previous day, the pace at the front was good enough for Sam to be able to take extra care over his navigation and ensure an accurate and safe passage through the challenging timed special. Arriving at the finish as ninth-fastest for the day, our 2022 Dakar Champ not only earned himself a really strong start position for the short 209km final special on Thursday, but was also able to maintain his overall lead in the event standings. However, with just 23 seconds now separating the top two, Sam will still need to go full gas on tomorrow’s final stage back to Abu Dhabi

Source GasGas Factory Racing Team