Rally Raid
Where does the new route go, what new rules are in, which member of rallying royalty is back in the convoy and who’s this year’s most exciting rookie? Get up to speed with the 2021 Dakar right here.
We’re just days away from the 2021 Dakar Rally getting under way. Race vehicles have arrived in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and their owners are getting ready to test them under the glare of the desert sun. After a prologue stage on January 2, the Dakar convoy will depart for 12 stages that will push the crews and their machines to breaking point.
Ahead of the rally we’ve rounded up the key changes to look out for at this latest edition of the desert classic. From new rules to new drivers, there’s no shortage of hot topics up for debate in the dunes.
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A brand-new route
The Dakar’s debut in Saudi Arabia 12 months ago promised dunes and it didn’t disappoint. But there was so much more than desert terrain on offer as competitors marvelled at moon-like rock formations within a variety of spectacular landscapes. This time around, every single kilometre of the 4,767km racetrack is new and the journey of discovery is about to happen all over again.
There'll be new dunes to conquer in the Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) as desert sands once more feature heavily in the route. There’s also a visit to the planned city of Neom on the Jordanian border, where the Dakar organisers will outline their plans for increasing the rally’s use of renewable energy sources.
The new finish line will have echos of the Dakar’s past as the chequered flag falls on the shore of the Red Sea outside Jeddah. Those who've followed the rally’s journey from its origins in Africa will be reminded of Senegal’s iconic Lac Rose.
The return of The Boss
Nine-time WRC winner Sébastien Loeb is heading back to the Dakar with a brand-new car. Loeb has joined up with the Bahrain Raid Xtreme Team and will be behind the wheel of their fearsome BRX1 car.
Loeb’s four-wheel drive vehicle features a bespoke 3.5l turbocharged petrol engine. The package looks and sounds mightily impressive, and the 2017 Dakar runner-up can’t wait to put it to the test against his rivals in the desert.
I always want to win
“I always want to win, so the goal is to do our best, to be ready and to be able to compete,” Loeb anticipates.
Reading the roadbook for Loeb in Saudi Arabia will be his long-time co-driver Daniel Elena.
Doubling down on safety
Bold moves have been made across the categories to increase the safety of the Dakar’s competitors.
Nowhere is this more in evidence than in the bike and quad races. New for 2021 is the stipulation that all bike and quad riders must wear an airbag jacket equipped with a fully functional pressurised cartridge. Riders will also be required to carry a spare cartridge on their machine with replacement cartridges available at refuelling points and in the bivouac.
Also new in the bike category is a limit of six rear tyres to be used over the 12 stages of the Dakar. Working on the bike at refuelling stops is now prohibited and each machine’s front windshield must be detachable. Bikers will also now receive an audible warning ahead of reaching dangerous sections of the course.
All these measures have been put in place with a view to increase rider safety at the Dakar.
Make way for the young guns
Leading the charge of exciting rookies at this edition of the Dakar is 18-year-old Seth Quintero. The teenager will take his place in the Side-by-side (SxS) category as part of the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team. Quintero was denied the chance to race the Dakar a year ago on account of his age. Now he’s determined to make up for lost time and cruise over the dunes in his OT3 by Overdrive machine.
Dakar 2021 means a lot to me
“Competing in Dakar 2021 means a lot to me.” Quintero revealed. “Being only 18 years old and able to compete at such a high level with so many legends of the sport is something that I will never forget.”
New for 2021 is the Lightweight Vehicles category which groups both T3 Light Prototype Vehicles and T4 SSV Series classes under the same umbrella. This new contest is sure to provide a great battle across the fast growing SxS field.
Elsewhere in the rally we’ll be following the progress of another Dakar debutant, Australia’s Daniel 'Chucky' Sanders. The 6 Days Enduro winner and KTM Factory Racing Junior Program rider will be sharing a site in the bivouac with Dakar contenders Toby Price, Sam Sunderland and Matthias Walkner.
If you’re off to the Dakar, remember to bring a good book
The glue that holds the entire rally together is the roadbook, it’s what the competitors must follow if they’re going to reach the end of each day’s stage. On select stages during the 2020 Dakar the roadbook was released just minutes before the start of the stage, rather than being passed out the night before.
At the upcoming edition this practice will be made standard, with roadbooks being handed out to competitors in all categories just 10 minutes before the start of each stage. This will lead to racers having to cram their roadbook preparation into a much shorter period of time and add to the navigational challenges of the rally.
Also new for 2021 will be the electronic roadbooks that will feature on the dashboards of some car, truck and SxS competitors. The Dakar aims to implement electronic roadblocks to replace paper versions across all categories at the 2022 rally.
But some things never change
There’s lots to look out for at the 2021 Dakar with a brand-new route and exciting innovations across the entire convoy. However, plenty of stuff is the same as when the rally was first run over 40 years ago. The spirit of discovery that underpins the event and keeps adventurers coming back for more remains intact.
The open desert, the camaraderie that exists on the race course, plus the blend of different cultures from all over the world inside the bivouac – all this will be in evidence at the latest edition of the Dakar.
From the prologue stage on January 2 until the finish line on January 15, join the adventure yourself with Red Bull TV’s Dakar Daily show, broadcasting throughout the rally in 2021.