Dakar 2023

Audi drew first blood in the 2023 Dakar Rally as Mattias Ekstrom topped the timings in Saturday's Prologue, while reigning champion Nasser Al-Attiyah could ...

Double Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso took on one of his biggest challenges yet in the five-day Dakar warm-up event, Rally Morocco. With a stunning success record in motorsport, Prodrive is targeting a new crown by entering the 2021 Dakar Rally. OPINION: Audi has been a disruptive presence on the 2022 Dakar Rally, with its new hybrid RS Q e-tron taking three stage wins so far.

The 43rd Edition of the Dakar Rally kicked off today with the Prologue Stage. Audis Mattias Ekstrom claimed the stage win in the cars category while KTM ...

Coming in 9th spot was Orlando Terranova who drove his Bahrain Rally Raid Xtreme Hunter across the Prologue Stage with a time of 8 minutes and 20 seconds. The sixth spot was taken by Hero's Joaquim Rodrigues who finished the Prologue stage with a time of 8 minutes and 32 seconds. Claiming the 9th spot with a time of 8 minutes and 35 seconds was HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing's South African rider Michael Docherty. Dakar 2023 kicked off with a brisk 13-kilometre-long stage which was dominated by the usual suspects. Price, a two-time Dakar winner, finished the 13-kilometre-long prologue stage in 8 minutes and 22 seconds. who was driving the final Audi Sport car. 11 seconds behind Ekstrom was the second Audi Sport car piloted by Mr Dakar himself, Stephane Peterhansel. TVS Sherco Racing's riders had a decent day in the saddle though all of its racers finished behind the Hero team. Ekstrom pipped WRC legend, Sebastian Loeb, to the top spot by just 1 second. The 43rd Edition of the Dakar Rally kicked off today with the Prologue Stage. Finishing in fifth, with the same time as Branch and Bort was KTM rider, Kevin Benavides. In the fourth spot, finishing in the same time as Branch was Spain's Joan Barreda Bort astride his Honda CRF 450 Rally.

Dakar – The Dakar Rally is underway in Saudi Arabia and we cast the rule over who's in the best form and who's not.

Audi boss Sven Quandt says that Ekström’s exploits on the Dakar earlier this year were ‘exceptional’ and it’s hard to disagree with that statement. He’s a fast driver and, with Brett Cummings alongside him, forms a strong lineup in the third Toyota Hilux. He has a new navigator for this year, Alex Haro Bravo who sat alongside Nani Roma in January, so the experience in the second BRX Hunter has clearly not been hampered. Has De Villiers got another Dakar win in him? Since triumphing on the first edition to be held in Saudi Arabia, Sainz and Cruz have found the going tough as they try to second-guess the road book. Like the rest of the Audi crews, however, it is difficult to judge exactly how he’ll perform on this year’s Dakar given the limited competitive running the new RS Q e-tron E2 has had. There’s a reason they call Peterhansel “Mr Dakar”. The Polish driver has often been rapid and consistent but has lacked the right machinery at the right time to properly challenge for overall honors. Al Rajhi is perhaps one of the fastest cross-country drivers out there, and his navigator Von Zitzewitz is a past winner too – with Giniel de Villiers in 2009. Only time will tell, but the signs from his 2022 season all point to a successful Dakar if things don’t go belly-up like they have done on too many occasions. And consistency is half the battle to winning the Dakar. The Franco-Qatari partnership demonstrated how to win the Dakar earlier this year, but they were not without their own problems; they just endured fewer than their rivals.

Two-time Dakar Rally winner Toby Price has kicked off his 2023 campaign in the best shape possible, taking out the Prologue ahead of fellow Australian ...

SBS and SBS On Demand will air extended highlights of every stage of the Dakar Rally, with coverage commencing on January 2. Ultimately, it was a time no one could eclipse. The 2016 World Rallycross champion from Sweden was the last of the three-car Audi assault to tackle the 13km course, easily eclipsing fellow teammates Carlos Sainz Snr and Stephane Peterhansel on his way to the stage win.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Toby Price took first blood on the 2023 Dakar Rally, claiming victory on the 13km Prologue Stage over compatriot Daniel ...

Early pre-race favorite Nacho Cornejo (Monster Energy Honda) had a shocker, crashing on the very first turn of the stage to finish 79th, 1m15sec off Price. Defending champion, Sam Sunderland (Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing) had a steady start to the Rally in 10th, 13sec off Price. Fourth place Joan Barreda (Monster Energy JB Team) and Price’s teammate Kevin Benavides clocked the same time as Branch but were classified fourth and fifth, respectively.

The 45th edition of the Dakar got under way on the Red Sea coast near Yanbu, which hosted a 13 km prologue on a winding sandy track packed for the occasion.

Will the 2023 edition of the toughest rally raid on Earth see him return to the top of the podium for the first time since 2019? The Chilean received a devastating blow in 2021, when he crashed out of the lead with two days to go. The 45th edition of the Dakar got under way on the Red Sea coast near Yanbu, which hosted a 13 km prologue on a winding sandy track packed for the occasion.

The 2023 Dakar Rally has begun! A 13km Saturday prologue track on the shores of the Red Sea determined the starting positions for Sunday's more.

39 (USA) SKYLER HOWES HUSQVARNA FACTORY + 00H 00′ 39” Our team is healthy and strong to fight back in the days to come.” Former champion Toby Price won for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team with Australian countryman Daniel Sanders in second spot.

American rider Ricky Brabec won Stage 1 of the 2023 Dakar Rally in bikes while three-time champion Carlos Sainz kept Audi up front in the cars class.

Ales Loprais (CZE), Instaforex Loprais Praga 4:02:19; 3. Michal Goczal (POL), Energylandia Rally Team, 4:13:49. Eryk Goczal (POL), Energylandia Rally Team, 4:11:58; 2. Martin Macik (CZE), MM Technology Team, 9:43; 2. Seth Quintero (USA), Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team, 4:00:47. Manuel Andujar (ARG), 7240 Team, 4:55:49; 3. Marcelo Medeiros (BRA), Taguatur Racing Team, 5:08:20. Alexandre Giroud (FRA), Yamaha Racing, 4:55:28; 2. Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU), Overdrive Racing, 3:30:56. Carlos Sainz (ESP), Team Audi Sport, 3:28:55; 2. Sebastien Loeb (FRA), Bahrain Raid Extreme, 3:29:05; 3. [posted on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm4KcE0MkjY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link).

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is set to take on the 2023 Dakar Rally with a three-car team. The reigning masters, Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel, ...

[https://www.instagram.com/tgr_w2rc/](https://www.instagram.com/tgr_w2rc/) From there, the route continues in a South-easterly direction, bisecting the feared Empty Quarter, before finally swinging northwards towards the finish at Dammam, on 15 January, 2023. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is set to take on the 2023 Dakar Rally with a three-car team.