Yazeed Al Rajhi, the reigning champion of the Abu Dhabi Desert Rally, is gearing up for another expedition to the UAE desert for The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
The competition is now in its 33rd edition and marks the second round of the FIA and FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).
Al Rajhi will be driving a Toyota Hilux supported by Jameel Motorsport between February 25 and March 2, 2024.
Timo Gottschalk will be by his side navigating and has been his companion on numerous desert rallies worldwide from 2014 until early 2019.
Timo Gottschalk (Left) and Yazeed Al Rajhi (Right)
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is a total distance of 1,902 Km with the first leg of the race going through Al Dhannah, where participants will spend two nights in a camp that has been specially constructed for the occasion. It will then, for the first time since 2002, take place at Mzree’ah in the Liwa region. The rally will travel over 55% of the open desert and 35% through the beautiful dunes of the Liwa Desert, which is recognized as the cultural treasure of the Empty Quarter.
Yazeed Al Rajhi expressed his excitement about the participation, saying,
“I am very thrilled to participate in the Abu Dhabi Rally alongside my navigator Timo.“I’m taking part in this rally for the ninth time, and we were victorious here the previous year, I look forward to winning again here.”“The race is returning to Mzree’ah in the Liwa region for the first time since 2002 when I had not even started my motorsports career, so the new routes this season are highly anticipated, and I’m excited”.“We intend to win the championship at the end of the year, but we have a long road ahead of us in this competition. I am genuinely happy and proud of Timo and the team. We have the pace, the quick car, and the support of Jameel Motorsport.”
Timo Gottschalk said,
“I am truly happy to be alongside my friend Yazeed, and we aspire to win together and achieve more cups and gold medals this season.”“I’m excited and hoping that this round turns out well for us both. This is a place of intense rivalry, especially on the softer sands and dunes. These are challenging courses, so we need to focus on the navigation to ensure that we have championship points.”
