The organizers of the Dakar unveiled on Tuesday the main lines of the route of the 2022 edition, which will always take place in Saudi Arabia, with even more sand.
After thirty editions in Africa and eleven editions in South America, the Dakar Rally will take place for the third consecutive year in Saudi Arabia next year, and the route of the 2022 edition was unveiled in outline on Tuesday by the organizers. They wanted an even more sandy coast, and this is why the competition will take place mostly in the Empty Quarter (the “empty quarter”), a huge desert as large as France located in the south-east of the country. There will be three stages taking place entirely in the dunes!
Enough to give the pilots and co-pilots a cold sweat… The competitors will leave Ha’il on January 2 and will reach Jeddah on the 14th, with a day of rest in the capital, Riyadh. ” There will be more sand. It will be even more difficult with the dunes. I’m sure David (Castera, the director of the Dakar, editor’s note) vto make it all complicated », Enthuses the Spaniard Carlos Sainz, triple winner of the Dakar in cars and third this year in his Mini. ” The Empty Quarter is known for its difficult terrain. The Dakar is going to be very different », For his part warns Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah, also triple winner and second this year at the wheel of his Toyota.
The Dakar goes green!
In addition, the organizers confirmed the creation of a category T1-E reserved for low-carbon prototypes. The manufacturer Audi has already announced its arrival in this category in 2022. Ultimately, the Dakar envisages the end of heat engines for cars in 2030 ” according to a progressive schedule subject to technological developments “. A real revolution!
