Alpine announces the appointment of Bruno Famin as VP, Alpine Motorsports and member of Alpine Management Committee, reporting directly to Laurent Rossi, Alpine CEO. In this position, Bruno Famin will lead Alpine’s activities across all motorsport disciplines.

This new organization will further simplify and reinforce Alpine’s governance under Laurent Rossi’s leadership, through the creation of functional hubs, following the nominations this year of Philippe Krief as VP, Engineering and Product Performance, and Antonino Labate as VP, Sales, Marketing & Customer Experience.

With this announcement, Alpine confirms its ambition to establish itself in the long-term as a reference in top racing categories. Bruno Famin will manage all teams ranging from Formula 1 to Endurance, to customer racing and competition such as Rallye-Raid, with Alpine providing some technical support to Dacia on its Dakar project.

Bruno Famin will also lead the Alpine Academy, with the aim of detecting and developing drivers, thus serving as a feeder to all Alpine’s motorsports endeavors. Last but not least, Bruno Famin will continue to serve as MD of Alpine Racing’s factory in Viry-Châtillon (France), supplying high performance powertrains to all these categories.

All current leaders of Alpine motorsport activities will thus report to Bruno Famin. With this appointment, Bruno Famin will be in position to leverage his extensive experience in motorsports, built on his unique track record of victories, including several titles in Le Mans and Dakar. He will also contribute with his acknowledged engineering know-how, which helped re-establish Alpine’s F1 PU as a credible reference in the paddock, as well as his extensive experience in Motorsports regulations, having long served as a well-respected FIA executive.

Here’s Pierre Gasly confused by lack of consistency

[Note: The story is as per press release]

L'entrada Alpine appoints Bruno Famin as VP of motorsports division ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Dacia has confirmed that from 2025, it will compete as a manufacturer in the World Rally-Raid Championship, culminating in the Dakar, the ultimate test of endurance and robustness. Dakar, an extraordinary human adventure has brought together more than 60 nationalities and 500 adventurers for a unique competition every year, for over 40 years.

The Dakar is a perfect illustration of the balance between the ‘rational’ and the ‘emotional’ that lies at the heart of the Dacia’s DNA. The rally-raid is a human and sporting adventure, clearly in keeping with Dacia’s brand territories: it is a robust and outdoor adventure at the wheel of a 4-wheel drive prototype developed to cope with the most extreme conditions; it’s an eco-smart adventure, with Dacia’s race car running on synthetic fuel, and an essential but cool adventure with an ambitious goal that leaves no room for the superfluous.

The Dakar Rally will be a testing ground and a laboratory of ideas for Dacia. It will be an opportunity to test and try out new clever solutions “à la Dacia”, in terms of outdoor functionalities, but also in terms of energy choices. Before taking up the challenge of the 2025 season, Dacia prototypes will be put to the test as early as 2024 at the Rallye du Maroc.

DACIA RELIES ON A ROBUST AND EXPERIENCED TECHNICAL BASE

Dacia will approach this exciting project by relying on the skills of Renault Group, and by drawing on British motorsport and engineering group, Prodrive, whose experience in developing prototypes for rally-raid is world-renowned. For almost 40 years, Prodrive has been one of the major players in motorsport worldwide, helping to lead brands to win numerous international championships.

Prodrive has been involved in the Dakar Rally and Rally-Raid since 2020, taking part in the last three Dakar rallies with cars designed and managed by their own teams, achieving second place overall in 2022 and 2023 with Sébastien Loeb, who is now part of the new Dacia team.

SÉBASTIEN LOEB AND CRISTINA GUTIERREZ HERRERO WILL BE THE DACIA DRIVERS

Spanish rally driver Cristina Gutierrez Herrero became the first Spanish woman in the car category to finish the Dakar Rally in 2017. Aged just 31, she has already participated in 7 Dakar Rallies between 2017 and 2023. Cristina has also been the all-terrain rally champion (women’s category) in Spain since 2012.

French rally driver Sébastien Loeb, 49, won the World Rally Championship 9 times in a row from 2004 to 2012. He is one of motorsport’s most successful drivers and is often considered the greatest rally driver of all time.

Loeb has taken part in the Dakar since 2016. From 2021, he took part in the Dakar Rally at the wheel of the Bahrain Raid Xtreme Hunter designed and run by the British Prodrive team. The success story between Sébastien Loeb and Prodrive will now continue at the wheel of a Dacia.

DACIA PROTOTYPE TO RUN ON SYNTHETIC TEST FUEL SUPPLIED BY ARAMCO

The Dacia prototype will run on a synthetic test fuel supplied by Aramco, a world leader in the energy and chemicals sector.  Aramco’s synthetic fuel solutions are produced by combining renewable hydrogen with captured CO₂, resulting in a lower-carbon, drop-in fuel compatible with today’s engines. The Dakar Rally is the ideal testing ground for this technology for the Dacia brand.

[Note: The story is as per press release]

L'entrada Dacia announces Dakar 2025 bid with Loeb, Herrero ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Summary:

The 45th edition of the Dakar has come to an end in Dammam after 14 stages that saw dramatic turnarounds in every category. Nasser Al Attiyah’s victorious campaign did not come as a surprise, but his first successful title defence earned him the fifth triumph of his career and the distinction of winning by the widest margin seen in the car race in 20 years. Second at 1 h 20, Sébastien Loeb bent the knee to the Qatari, but he also added his name to the Dakar record books with a string of six consecutive stage wins (seven in total).

The scenario that unfolded in the motorbike race was even crazier. In a first for the category, Kevin Benavides seized the lead on the very last day, knocking Toby Price from the top of the general standings to prevail by 43 seconds, the narrowest winning margin ever in the Dakar. Similarly, in the SSVs, the youngest Dakar entrant ever benefited from a massive plot twist in the last stage, as the leader, Rokas Baciuška, surrendered the top spot to the 18-year-old Pole Eryk Goczał, who will share the podium with his father, Marek, in third place. A family that races together stays together.

In T3, victory went to Austin Jones, who had already brought the T4 trophy home last year, while the truck title went to Janus van Kasteren, the first Dutch winner of the race since Gerard de Rooy in 2016. The winners and all the other competitors who showed their resolve to complete this gruelling route will be feted this evening at the podium ceremony in Ithra, at the cultural centre built by Aramco to mark the 75th anniversary of the company, which joined the Dakar as a major partner this year.

235 of the 355 vehicles that started the 2023 Dakar have made it to the finish: 80 motorbikes (out of 121), 10 quads (18), 46 T1 and T2 cars (67), 38 lightweight prototypes (47), 39 SSVs (45) and all 22 trucks, along with 80 out of 88 crews in the third edition of the Dakar Classic, the regularity race for 20th-century vehicles.

Car:

Scoring 5/20 is usually very bad news, but in the case of Nasser Al Attiyah, who claimed his fifth Bedouin trophy in his twentieth Dakar start (including the 2008 edition, as the bivouac is wont to do), his track record shows that he is one of the most keen-sighted and visionary competitors in the world of rally raids. The lean, mean winning machine really got going in 2011, in a Volkswagen Touareg with Timo Gottschalk in the right seat. He has since given the lie to his reputation as a car-smasher, and his partnership with the navigator Mathieu Baumel since 2015 has yielded another four victories: in 2015 in a Mini and in 2019, 2022 and 2023 behind the wheel of a Toyota Hilux.

The duo produced a masterpiece on the sands of Saudi Arabia, taking the lead without haste on the evening of stage 3 before going on to reach the rest day 1 h 20 ahead of the rest after the harsh terrain dashed the hopes of all the challengers. Prodrive’s Hunters were knocked out of contention by a flurry of punctures in stage 2, while the Audis of Stéphane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz lost all hope of success at the foot of a dune in stage 6. The sweet taste of victory will have to wait for the electric RS Q e-tron cars, of which only one unit, with Mattias Ekström at the wheel, made it to the finish a fortnight after winning the prologue around the Sea Camp.

Sébastien Loeb, the only one of Toyota’s rivals to avoid certain doom, embarked on an ultimately futile yet gutsy pursuit ahead of the Empty Quarter and all the way to the finish in Dammam. On his heroic ride through the desert, the nine-time WRC world champion racked up one stage win after another, taming the dunes like never before and producing an impeccable performance that made him go down in history with a streak of six stage wins in a row, beating Ari Vatanen’s five in 1989. Nasser, jumping to warp speed with aplomb, refused to engage on these terms and cruised to Dammam, where his lead over Loeb, also his runner-up last year, was not a minute less than 1 h 20. Al Attiyah’s fifth success also puts into perspective the talent of the great Finnish master, who won the Dakar “only” four times, but in just five starts.

Looking ahead, his 2023 harvest also brings the Qatari closer to Vatanen’s record of 50 stage wins, with 47 so far, as well as Stéphane Peterhansel’s eight car titles. The Toyota clan has a lot of reasons to celebrate, as the bottom step of the podium went to a newcomer to both the team and the Dakar. The Brazilian Lucas Moraes is the first rookie to crack the top 3 of the car race since Juha Kankkunen won in 1988. Another two Hilux drivers round out the top 5: the ever-consistent Giniel de Villiers, in his fifteenth finish in this select club, and fellow South African Henk Lategan, who will try to repeat his mentor’s exploit with a win in the future. Faced with this display of shock and awe, Martin Prokop’s sixth place is much more than a consolation prize, while Wei Han achieved the highest finish ever for a Chinese driver in eighth place. Sebastián Halpern, ninth in Team X-raid’s brand-new T1+, will tap his optimism to interpret this as a sign to keep going, as will Guerlain Chicherit, whose haul of two stage wins —including the finale—, nine top 5 finishes and place in the top 10 overall proved that he can go toe to toe with the heavy hitters.

Bike:

Never before had a biker lost the lead of the Dakar in the last special. And never before had the winner and the runner-up been so evenly matched. An unprecedented scenario that came on the back of another historic first, namely, the mere 12 seconds separating KTM’s Toby Price and Kevin Benavides on the eve of the finale. The longest Dakar held in Saudi Arabia came down to a sprint, an exercise that both former enduro riders excel in. Price kicked off the 45th edition by winning the prologue before flying under the radar near the front of the race, like the Argentinian, who only came out of the woods to win stage 13 and swoop down on the Australian. The finish was like a hurdling contest in which every checkpoint was a hurdle. In his own words, Price lost the Dakar by stumbling twice. Kevin confessed that he had to backtrack once to validate a waypoint, but Toby did it three times.

At the finish, the Argentinian joined the club of two-time Dakar winners (2021 and 2023), 43 seconds ahead of his new peer (2016 and 2019). He joined the ranks of Auriol, Rahier, Meoni, Price himself and Sunderland. 100th last year due to a broken engine, the new winner, signed by KTM after his success on a Honda, puts an end to three years in which the Dakar was painted red. After two victories for Honda and one for GasGas last year, the orange brand from Mattighofen retook the throne with its nineteenth triumph. Skyler Howes, who rides for their sister team Husqvarna, will stand next to them on the podium, although he deserved so much more in his fifth Dakar.

The American wore the leader’s mantle for six days before being pipped at the post, but he is pumped and proud to clamber onto the podium for the first time —the fifth for an American biker.   The 2023 Dakar tasted like sweet revenge for the big losers of the previous edition, when Price lost big time from the beginning and was unable to finish higher than tenth, his worst result at the finish, while Howes crashed out and Kevin Benavides’s motorbike gave up the ghost. This time, the Dakar did not smile on the majority of the 2022 headliners. The race ended prematurely for half of last year’s top 10, and not just the minnows.

Sunderland, the defending champion, called it quits in stage 1. The next day, it was Brabec who also fell, followed by Barreda in stage 8. Mason Klein, the top rookie in Jeddah in ninth place, who had seized the lead in stage 2 of this Dakar, threw in the towel in stage 13, while Walkner, on the podium last year, crashed on the eve of the finish. Three other works riders found themselves on the receiving end of the Dakar’s ruthlessness. Hero’s Joaquim Rodrigues and Sherco’s Harith Noah were added to the casualty list in stage 4. The Indian’s teammate, Rui Gonçalves, retired in stage 6. In this war of attrition, Honda placed three of its four factory riders in the top 10.

Quintanilla finished just outside the podium, ahead of Van Beveren, while Cornejo was eighth. Luciano Benavides (HVA), the most prolific stage hunter of this edition, with three, came in sixth. Daniel Sanders, who again lit up the start of the race before his physical condition took its toll, was seventh. Lorenzo Santolino, eleventh last year, patiently played for time on his Sherco to move up to ninth and retake his place in the top 10 after 2021 (sixth). Franco Caimi (Hero) rounded it the first ten, ensuring that all six factory teams in the 45th edition are represented near the top.

Quad:

In 2022, Manuel Andújar’s title defence campaign ended not with a whimper, but a bang, as the Argentinian crashed out of the race in stage 6.  This time round, he was out for revenge on Alexandre Giroud, who had pounced on the opportunity to usurp his throne. Coming a few weeks after the football World Cup final between France and Argentina, the duel between the last two winners of the Dakar doubled as a rematch! But once again, Messi’s compatriot did not reach the goal.

First, mechanical troubles in stage 3 sent him careening down the standings, and then his quad’s engine received a red card in stage 11. Francisco Moreno Flores became Argentina’s lead striker, but time was not in his favour, as the Frenchman’s sizeable lead allowed him to play defensively. The Brazilian Marcelo Medeiros, racing to defend his honour after withdrawing from a stage and becoming ineligible for the overall, claimed four wins. Alexandre Giroud retained his crown. The Yamaha man, clad in blue, is the second rider to score back-to-back wins, after the Argentinian Alejandro Patronelli in 2011 and 2012.

Truck:

Janus van Kasteren ended six years of undisputed Russian hegemony to add his name in the annals and bring Iveco’s total to three Dakar victories. As usual in the most prestigious rally raid on Earth, it’s consistency wot won it. Martin Macík did his best, winning the first two specials, but a brake problem in stage 2 cost him the lead. Van Kasteren, driving with Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijders in the cockpit, was among the speediest in the race against the clock, although stage 4 kicked some sand in his gears and threatened to ruin it all. He lost nearly an hour that day and tumbled to fifth place in the standings, at the time led by the even more consistent Aleš Loprais.

The Czech did not pursue stage wins at all costs, instead profiting from his rivals’ blunders and misfortunes. The Tatra driver seemed destined for victory, but he had to retire ahead of stage 10 due to his involvement in an accident that claimed the life of an Italian spectator. Van Kasteren then inherited first place. The first driver not in a Kamaz last year, he managed to dodge the pitfalls in certain specials to power away, beyond the reach of his opponents. Neither Martin van den Brink, nor his son Mitchel, who became the youngest special winner in the truck race in stage 6, nor Macík managed to crack Van Kasteren, who wrapped up the 45th Dakar with three stage wins under his belt.

Here’s the results of Dakar 2023: https://www.dakar.com/en/rankings

[Note: The story is as per press release]

L'entrada Dakar 2023: Al-Attiyah wins in Car category; Benavides takes Bike ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

In a big news shared by Roma on his social media account, the multiple Dakar Rally winner announced that he has been diagnosed with bladder cancer. The fortunate news is that it is curable and the Spaniard will undergo chemotherapy soon.

Roma revealed that he had back pains couple of days back and went to see the doctor. After undergoing tests, it was found that he cancer which is curable. As he goes under chemotherapy, he will miss racing action and is hoping to return after curing it.

“Hello everyone, in this video I tell you that I have been diagnosed with cancer, but that it is treatable and the prognosis is good. I am well and encouraged, being aware that after facing many challenges, now I must focus on the most important of them all!

“I am surrounded by the best family and friends, and in the hands of the best medical professionals. Also, I am lucky to have my BRX team by my side along with ProDrive, Monster and Samsung. Thank you all,” wrote Roma.

Here’s the full video in English: https://www.instagram.com/p/CbfTI5tFK7u/

L'entrada Dakar winner Nani Roma diagnosed with curable cancer ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Cars:

Being the big favourite is a coveted position, but not necessarily a comfortable one. Nasser Al-Attiyah has cracked under the pressure several times before, but this year he and his co-driver Mathieu Baumel put in a masterful performance. The Qatari was eager to seize the lead from the get-go and took the two specials (1A and 1B) that made up the opening stage.

Meanwhile, the Audis were already on the back foot, first when Sainz made a catastrophic navigation blunder and then, the next day, when Peterhansel lost one of his rear wheels and had to accept an extremely heavy penalty in order to continue his Dakar adventure. Against this backdrop, the fight for top honours soon came down to a duel between Sebastien Loeb and Al-Attiyah, but the Frenchman faltered in stage 3, when he suffered a broken drive shaft, resulting in a 50-minute deficit by the time the rest day came around.

Firmly in command, the man who earned the nickname of “Prince of the Desert” in South America became a king by claiming his fourth Dakar title in the Middle East, next door to his home country, to go with his victories from 2011, 2015 and 2019. Loeb can find solace in the stellar performance of his BRX Hunter, but like in 2017, when he came up short in his duel with “Peter”, he ended up in second place… his least favourite! Yazeed Al-Rajhi inserted himself in the Franco-Qatari battle several times and proved that he is a force to be reckoned with on home turf, claiming his highest finish so far and climbing on the final podium for the first time (third at 1 h 01′13″).

Behind the top 3 that everyone yearns for, Prodrive can be pleased to have Orlando Terranova’s Hunter in fourth place, the best result of his career in a car after fourteen starts. In contrast, the Mini X-raid buggy seems to have been left in the dust by the new generation of T1+ cars, with Jakub Przygoński slipping down two places to sixth. Giniel De Villiers came in fifth to claim his eighteenth top 10 finish. Also in the top 10 was Mathieu Serradori in his Century (ninth). Mattias Ekstrom’s tenth place overall capped Audi’s impressive performance over the last fortnight.

Bikes:

To say that the motorbike category was the closest-run race of the 44th Dakar would be an understatement. The 3′27″ between Sam Sunderland and Pablo Quintanilla in Jeddah were the slimmest margin at the top of the leader board since 1994, when Orioli finished 1′13″ ahead of Arcarons! The Englishman went back to his winning ways after a drought stretching back to 2017. Sunderland’s star had seemed to be on the wane. When he did not withdraw from the race, he had to settle for third the following year.

To break this vicious cycle, the Englishman first stayed in the shadow of his flamboyant teammate, Daniel Sanders. However, “Chucky”, the man of the first week, was sent home by a stupid crash while exiting the bivouac in Riyadh in the wee hours. Sam already held the overall lead, which he defended for four days without winning any specials. Meanwhile, three other former champions embarked on an impossible mission after flopping in the opening stages: it was 2021 all over again for Price and Brabec, joined by the defending champion, Kevin Benavides, this time round. Only Matthias Walkner, also a previous winner, and Adrien Van Beveren were able to match Sunderland blow for blow.

The official GasGas biker delivered the coup de grace with a win in stage 8. The same old trick once again allowed him to approach the remaining stages with caution and hatch a plan for stage 10. Sunderland and Walkner held back so that they could chase the new leader, Van Beveren, clad in Yamaha blue, in the following special. Pablo Quintanilla also pounced on the opportunity to finish second, matching his 2020 performance. Young brands such as Sherco and Hero also had their moment in the sun.

Ensconced in the top 5 for almost the entire first week, Santolino and his Sherco expected to feature in the fight for glory before the tables turned. Hero and Joaquim Rodrigues bagged their maiden win in stage 3, with a special thought for Paolo Gonçalves. Red once again fluttered in the breeze of the aptly named sea, but it was no longer Honda’s. GasGas avenged the insult to KTM and became the sixth constructor to take the Dakar.

In the Rally2 category for non-professional bikers, 20-year-old Mason Klein was a cut above the rest, finishing ahead of Camille Chapeliere and picking up a stage podium along the way. The Frenchman, nineteenth overall, came in three places higher than in his debut. Romain Dumontier, precisely in twenty-second place, rounded out the Rally2 podium. In the Original by Motul category for bikers without assistance, the 2022 podium was almost the same as last year’s. Lithuanian Arunas Gelazninkas retained the title, while the battle-hardened Czech Milan Engel was runner-up and Frenchman Benjamin Melot defended his third place.

Quads:

Alexandre Giroud emerged victorious from a classic Dakar war of attrition. Near the start, he watched on as the flashy performances of other riders turned out to be a flash in the pan. Lithuania’s Kancius, Russia’s Maksimov and even the defending champion, Manuel Andújar, all learned the hard way that haste makes waste. Pablo Copetti, on the other hand, grasped that the Dakar is an endurance race.

The Argentinian-American and Giroud locked horns in the second week as Copetti launched assault after assault on the Frenchman’s lead. In the end, it was Copetti who bent the knee after a broken engine in stage 10 put paid to his chances. Giroud now had a clear path to Jeddah Corniche, where he wanted to pay tribute to his father, Daniel, who became the first quad rider to finish the Dakar back in 1997. Racing in a league of his own for much of the rally, Giroud Jr. dominated the standings by 2 h 21 over his Drag’On stablemate, the Spaniard Francisco Moreno.

Trucks:

The Russian truckers have never shied away from their status as favourites. They have racked up eighteen victories with six different drivers since the dawn of the 21st century, only bending the knee to Karel Loprais in 2001, Hans Stacey in 2007 and Gerard de Rooy in 2012 and 2016, and extended their hegemony in Saudi Arabia this year. Each of the four men at the wheels of the blue trucks has claimed at least one stage, leaving nothing for the competition.

Reigning champion Dmitry Sotnikov defended his title and led a Kamaz 1-2-3-4. He won the rally with 9′58″ to spare over his teammate and four-time Dakar champion Eduard Nikolaev, who took his eighth podium spot in ten starts as a driver. Kamaz had already locked up the top 4 in 2011. Further back, Janus van Kasteren was the best of the rest in fifth place… over an hour behind the last Kamaz.

[Note: The above story is as per the press release with no edits made]

Here’s full results: https://www.dakar.com/en/rankings

L'entrada Al-Attiyah wins 2022 Dakar Rally in Cars; Sunderland takes it in Bikes ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

For its third edition in Saudi Arabia, the 2022 Dakar Rally, will kick-off on January 1 with the Prologue and finish off on January 14 in Jeddah – spread across 12 stages where they will run the first stage in two categories ‘1A and 1B’.

“As much as COVID-19 is said to interfere with taste, it has done nothing to dampen the appetite for adventure,” said David Castera. “The Dakar entrants are already salivating at the thought of the 44th edition, the third to be held on Saudi soil. The main course on the menu is sand, a local speciality. Competitors will tuck into a hearty meal of dunes and tracks, served in tones ranging from ochre and saffron to golden brown with a dash of coral here and there.

“This exceptional backdrop will set the stage for a gathering worthy of the halcyon days of the Dakar, first in Jeddah and shortly afterwards in Ha’il, where the field will set out to tame the desert, take a break in Riyadh and head back towards the shores of the Red Sea. A get-together of this calibre was a must for what will be a watershed moment in the history of the Dakar and beyond, as the unfolding changes will have a ripple effect on the whole season: a double ambition inspires the organisers and stakeholders in the rally.

“For the first time, the Dakar will be part of the FIA and FIM world championships, headlining a sporting series that will keep the stakes high year-round. Even more importantly, rally raids, the quintessential sport for those who love the great outdoors, will achieve a milestone in its energy transition as the initial phase of the “Dakar Future” plan is rolled out.

“The constructors will now show their aspiration to get to grips with the challenge of extreme endurance out there on the tracks, banking on alternative engines that could well end up powering the cars of tomorrow. The Dakar is also a constellation of bold visionaries who move the world forward.”

Here’s the full route details:

STAGE 1A – JEDDAH > HA’IL:

Bang in the middle of two long liaisons, this 19km romp on dirt tracks and small dunes will give entrants the chance to test their vehicles and, even more importantly, will separate the wheat from the chaff to determine the starting order for the next stage. The results of the special will also give rise to a peculiar ceremony at the briefing in which the top 15 competitors in each category will get to choose, in reverse order in the standings, their starting position for special 1B… Expect to see some bluffing!

STAGE 1B – HA’IL > HA’IL:

The mountainous landscapes of northern Saudi Arabia contribute to the contrasts of the Dakar route. Sand is already on the menu, for now, in the shape of tracks. Be warned that this special is riddled with the fiendish navigation puzzles typical of the country. The focus will be on co-drivers, as any competitors who try to take shortcuts will be immediately slapped with time penalties.

STAGE 2 – HA’IL > AL ARTAWIYAH:

Lo and behold, the first chains of dunes in this edition, which will set the tone for the 2022 Dakar and provide the first opportunity for contenders for the overall title to move to the front. However, trying to blow up the race on the first day of a marathon stage is a risky proposition, as once the sun goes down, the riders, drivers and crews will only be able to count on the assistance of their peers inside the service park.

STAGE 3 – AL ARTAWIYAH > AL QAISUMAH:

The first part of the special dishes up a hearty serving of sand. While the faster second part seems easier from a technical point of view, the neverending intersections can cause the competitors to make mistakes and waste time performing U-turns and finding their bearings. Proper tyre management will be crucial to finishing the marathon without any nasty surprises.

STAGE 4 – AL QAISUMAH > RIYADH:

The Dakar heads south to the capital, Riyadh. The longest special in the rally throws everything but the kitchen sink at the entrants: a section of fast tracks almost 200km long, a central part with chains of dunes of varying sizes, and a rocky finish, especially when competitors have to cross one wadi after another. It will be one of the pièces de résistance of the first week

STAGE 5 – RIYADH > RIYADH:

The riders, drivers and crews will head to the east of Riyadh to tackle a special that marks an abrupt change in tone from the previous ones. The dirt tracks peppered with stones in the first part of the stage will put the bikers’ arms through the wringer, but they will have to keep something in the tank for the long dune section, stretching for almost 80km. Substantial gaps can be opened surfing the dunes in the finale.

STAGE 6 – RIYADH > RIYADH:

Wrapping up the first week of racing, the second loop stage around Riyadh will explore the west of Riyadh.Co-drivers will have to be on high alert to navigate the web of intersections in the first part of the special. Dunes make their first appearance halfway through the stage, where a sea of dunes about 40km long awaits. Whoever gains an advantage here will be able to press it home on the fast tracks in the finale.

STAGE 7 – RIYADH > AL DAWADIMI:

The Dakar will enter uncharted territory for the resumption of hostilities after the rest day. This journey of exploration begins with about 100 km of dunes in what seems a never-ending succession of ergs. After this intense dune-surfing exercise, the handling and driving get easier, but the maze of tracks could well push certain crews past their breaking points!

STAGE 8 – AL DAWADIMI > WADI AD-DAWASIR:

The long liaisons and sand-packed menu make this trek to southern Saudi Arabia one of those stages that drag on and on and on. The first 200 kilometres of the special will be nothing but sand and dunes as far as the eye cansee, as the competitors jump from one valley to another. Eventually, the landscapes will change at the end of the day… in the evening or at night, as many entrants will be delayed by the complexity of the stage.

STAGE 9 – WADI AD-DAWASIR > WADI AD-DAWASIR:

The loop around Wadi Ad-Dawasir will start later than usual to keep the stragglers from the previous day in the game. By this point in the rally, the endurance of competitors and their machines will have become a decisive factor. The presence of mountains, followed by the tracks that wind their way around the canyons, will require a different approach. Although there will be less sand, this stage is still a difficult one, not least because of the navigation.

STAGE 10 – WADI AD-DAWASIR > BISHA:

This special is particularly easy on the eyes. A rich tapestry of landscapes and colours will keep spectators in awe, while the competitors will have a blast in what will no doubt be one of the fastest specials in this edition. However, it is worth keeping in mind that haste makes waste, especially when it comes to navigating the myriad intersections that are the signature trait of Saudi routes.

STAGE 11 – BISHA > BISHA:

Nothing will be certain before the loop around Bisha, which has the potential to turn the race on its head. It will be the biggest technical challenge in the final part of the rally. The vehicles will spend about half of the stage on dunes of all shapes and sizes, including the softest ones that the desert has in store. It will be the last big fight!

STAGE 12 – BISHA > JEDDAH:

While the dunes are behind us, the majority of tracks in the closing special are still sandy. Practice makes perfect and, with all the experience gained since the start of the rally, everyone is poised to enjoy this one to the fullest. However, long liaisons await the field on its way to the Red Sea coast and the final podium on the Jeddah corniche.

Here’s the competitors list thus far: https://www.dakar.com/en/competitors

Here’s the initial detail from Dakar about 2022 edition

L'entrada Dakar shares full route of 2022 edition to take place in Saudi Arabia ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Having lost his Tech 3 Racing seat months ago, Petrucci decided to stay on with the KTM family albeit in a different form of racing. Despite having some apprehensions about it, the Italian had the dream of competing in off-road rallying, especially Dakar.

With his MotoGP future not looking bright, he started to plan out his off-road rallying career with KTM. While it is a big task to go straight up in Dakar without any prior off-road competition practice, Petrucci has an able team to support and guide him.

KTM boasts a line-up with Matthias Walkner, Toby Price and Kevin Benavides, who will on-site to help him with the transition along with team manager Jordi Viladoms. Petrucci already has had the taste of the 450 RALLY machine in a recent test in Dubai.

“For me it is really a dream come true to race the Dakar,” said Petrucci, who will enter the 2022 Dakar with the number 90 on his KTM bike. “It’s an event I’ve always wanted to do since I was a child when I was watching video tapes of the Dakar Rally from the 80s and 90s. Now, thanks to KTM, this dream is coming true.

“First, I would like to thank KTM for this great opportunity; I think I will be the only rider that in just over one month has competed in MotoGP and then the Dakar Rally – so it is with great pride that I go there. My main target is just to finish the race and enjoy it. The first approach was to have some road book training with Jordi, he competed in the race many times and finished on the podium, so he has been great in helping me learn this special art.

“I had my first taste of riding the KTM 450 RALLY recently at an initial test in the Dubai dunes, where I was with KTM’s Dakar champions and I was able to learn so much from them – it was great to see them riding, and they were super nice and helpful to me. I hope the training for the next month will be enough; for sure it will be a tough race, but I am excited,” summed up Petrucci.

At the same time, Pit Beirer added: “Danilo’s talent and his character means he is one of the few elite level guys that we believe can make this radical move from the asphalt to the dunes. It’s a great story for a great guy. We want to thank him for his professionalism and all his efforts as part of the Tech3 team in our MotoGP project and now it’s time for another ‘world’!”

Here’s 2022 Dakar route

L'entrada Petrucci switch to Dakar with KTM confirmed for 2022 ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Here’s some photos from Audi and also a video:

Some further details shared by Audi goes:

• On board of the Audi RS Q e-tron, there is the highly efficient TFSI engine from the DTM. It is part of an energy converter that charges the high-voltage battery while driving. Since the combustion engine is operated in the particularly efficient range of between 4,500 and 6,000 rpm, the specific consumption is well below 200 grams per kWh.
• The drivetrain of the Audi RS Q e-tron is electric. The front and rear axles are both fitted with a motor-generator unit (MGU) from the current Audi e-tron FE07 Formula E car which has been developed by Audi Sport for the 2021 season. Only minor modifications had to be made to use the MGU in the Dakar Rally.
• A third MGU, of identical design, is part of the energy converter and serves to recharge the high-voltage battery while driving. In addition, energy is recuperated during braking. The battery weighs about 370 kilograms and has a capacity of around 50 kWh.
• The maximum system power of the e-drivetrain is 500 kW. How much of this may be used during the Dakar Rally is still being finalized by the organizers. The electric drivetain offers many advantages. The electric motors can be controlled extremely precisely and can thus ensure good drivability. In addition, braking energy can be recovered.
• The Audi RS Q e-tron only needs one forward gear. The front and rear axles are not mechanically connected, as is also common in electric vehicles. The software developed by Audi takes over the torque distribution between the axles and thus creates a virtual and freely configurable center differential, which has the positive side effect of being able to save the weight and space that would have been required by propshafts and a mechanical differential.

Audi is amid a solid testing programme as they wish to take part in several cross-country rally events before stepping up to Dakar. “This project’s schedule is extremely packed and challenging,” said Andreas Roos. “Less than twelve months have passed since the project officially started.

“We had to begin the development while the regulations for alternatively-powered vehicles had not even been finalised yet. And all of the development took place during the Corona pandemic. You mustn’t underestimate that either. What the team has achieved so far is unique. The roll-out was a very special moment for everyone.”

Here’s details from Audi regarding its driver line-up

L'entrada Photo: Ekstrom drives Audi Dakar challenger as RS Q e-tron is revealed ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Having announced its Dakar programme for the 2022 edition, Audi has now revealed its three-car driver line-up, with winners and veterans, Sainz Sr and Peterhansel, leading the outfit’s winning bid, alongside Ekstrom – who is starting in the cross-rally scene.

Audi dubs it as a ‘dream team’, with experience taking centerstage, while Ekstrom adds on as a relative younger driver. The Swede will pair-up with Emil Bergkvist in the journey, whereas Sainz Sr will have Lucas Cruz and Peterhansel will have Edouard Boulanger.

“It’s no exaggeration to speak of a ‘dream team’,” said Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for motorsport. “Stephane is the most successful Dakar driver of all time. Carlos is a multiple Dakar winner and World Rally champion. With Mattias, we already celebrated many Audi successes in the past.

“He is one of the world’s most versatile drivers. In addition to a lot of speed, they are all adding an extreme amount of expertise and motivation to our team. The same goes for their co-drivers, who play an increasingly important role in the Dakar Rally.”

At the same time, Sven Quandt, team principal of Q Motorsport, states: “At the Dakar Rally, teamwork and reliabilty are crucial. You need a well-bonded team, a super reliable car and reliable driver teams. You can’t permanently drive at the limit in the Dakar Rally. The right strategy is crucial. I’m very happy that we will have three renowned and strong teams competing for us. We know their qualities very well.”

Starting with the 55-year-old, Peterhansel, the Frenchman has 14 Dakar wins under his belt – with six time in Moto category and eight in Car. He won the 2021 edition with Mini and now continues in journey, driving the brand new electric machine.

“I love nature and beautiful landscapes,” said Peterhansel. “At the Dakar Rally, we travel to fascinating places that you would never see otherwise. The Dakar is one of the last adventures in this world. And it is on the verge of a radical change: the future is electric. In ten years, everyone will be driving electric cars.

“The Dakar is an extreme test for this technology. We want to be the first team to win the Dakar Rally with an electric powertrain. I’m looking forward to tackling this very ambitious project with Audi,” summed up Peterhansel, whose co-driver Boulanger, continues to expand on their 13-year journey together.

Moving onto Sainz Sr, the ‘El Matador’ – as he is called – moves on from Mini as well, with Peterhansel, having won the Dakar rally three times in his career.  “Even at 59, I’m still hungry, otherwise I wouldn’t have taken on this new challenge,” he said. “Even as a child, it was my dream to become a rally driver. My passion is unchanged.

“The Audi quattro changed the World Rally Championship forever. Now we are trying something similar at the Dakar Rally. The engineers have much more freedom in the Dakar Rally than in other racing series. I have full confidence in the Audi engineers and will try to help them with my experience to develop a fast and successful car.

“The Dakar is the ultimate challenge for an electric powertrain. It is a fantastic, extreme project. I can’t wait to test the car for the first time. What I’ve seen so far gives me confidence,” summed up Sainz Sr, who will have Cruz at his side, continuing their partnership for even a longer time.

Despite being a veteran in the racing world, Ekstrom is still a new comer to Dakar, especially against Peterhansel and Sainz Sr. He did enter the rally this year but not in the category that could win, but with Audi, it will be a big step.

L'entrada Audi signs Sainz Sr, Ekstrom and Peterhansel for their Dakar journey ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

For its third edition in Saudi Arabia, the 2022 Dakar Rally, will kick-off on January 1 with the Prologue and finish off on January 14 in Jeddah. The action will start in Ha’il, where the participants will go through the ‘Empty Quarters’, denoted as the South loop.

It is through that, they will travel to Riyadh, which will also host the rest day. From there on, they will move towards Jeddah, where the 2022 Dakar Rally will culminate. The broader categories remains the same, that of, Car, Bike, Quad and Truck.

However, there will be sub-categories, especially under Car, where various types of sustainably-run vehicles will run – mostly electric and hybrid. This is the first step towards full change in the years to come, across all categories of racing.

Here’s part of the release: “For its 44th edition, which will run from 2-14 January, the Dakar will pay its third visit to Saudi Arabia. The rally will start in Ha’il and finish in Jeddah, after a rest day in Riyadh. With the route heading in a south-easterly direction, the organisers propose a sandier tone to the challenge. In the Empty Quarter, it’s “dunes galore”!

“The desire to take the discipline towards a virtuous operation in terms of carbon emissions will take concrete form from 2022 with the launch of a T1-E category reserved for prototypes engaged in this research. The end of the combustion engine era is planned for 2030 for cars. The popularity of vintage vehicles in the “Dakar Classic” regularity race has encouraged many enthusiasts of 1980′ and 90’s 4x4s to have a go in the adventure. The field could double in size at the start in Ha’il.”

Here’s the three key areas in the route of Dakar 2022:

Ha’il: “You could say it is the capital of the nomads in Saudi Arabia. Ha’il was for many years a stopover on the trade route linking the Red Sea and Mesopotamia. A place of exchange, rest or transit, the city has developed a welcoming feel, which is rooted in the way of life there. It is here that the core of Saudi drivers was formed, where the annual rally became the meeting place for the whole rally-raid community. After having already hosted one stage of the Dakar in 2020, and then the rest day in 2021, Ha’il is getting ready to organise the scrutineering and the rally start in 2022. A bivouac will be set up there at the start so that the drivers can truly immerse themselves in the atmosphere.”

Riyadh: “The large groves that gave the city its name in the 18th century (gardens in Arabic) have for the most part given way to a city which extends over more than 1,500 km2 (compared to 105 km2 for Paris or 203 km2 for Buenos Aires) and is home to more than six million inhabitants. The demographic growth in the capital since the 1970s has been accompanied by the construction of several grand skyscrapers with innovative architecture, such as the Al Faisaliah Tower (267 m), the Kindgom Centre (302 m) and the Burj Rafal (307 m). The capital of the Saudi kingdom saw the finish of Dakar 2020, and is once again going to provide an oasis for the crews and drivers of the 2022 edition… for a short rest day.” 

Jeddah: “The Dakar landed in this economic centre of Saudi Arabia in 2020. Then in 2021, a loop was drawn up, starting and ending in Jeddah.  This time, the gateway to the holy places of Mecca and Medina will be the ultimate goal of the adventure. Driving along the Red Sea coastline will serve as a reward for all of the efforts made during the 8000 km rally.”

Here’s the route for Dakar 2022:

Here’s the full video for Dakar 2022:

L'entrada Video: Dakar showcases route for the 2022 rally in Saudi Arabia ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Following its decision to move from DTM and Formula E, Audi announced its intention to make a return in WEC under the LMDh programme in 2021 and make its Dakar debut in 2022 – the latter being an electric machinery for the grueling off-road event.

The idea to get into Dakar is due to its liberties with car development, which is restricted in other forms of competitions like Formula E and DTM. The work on the off-road car has already begun, as it is using its knowledge from other championships.

Revealing further details of its Dakar challengers, Audi informed that they are to use the Formula E motor generator unit, in addition to the high-voltage battery. The first prototype is being built at Audi Sport in Neuburg an der Donau.

Audi is scheduled to roll it out at the end of June, followed by a world’s first look in July. Post that, there will be intensive test run until January 2022 when it makes its Dakar debut with an electric machinery. “With the Dakar project, we at Audi remain true to our philosophy of using new technologies in motorsport for the first time that are groundbreaking for future road cars,” said Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for all motorsport activities of Audi.

“In our rally history, for example, this was the quattro drivetrain, and now we will test components for future electric drivetrains under extreme conditions at the Dakar Rally. At the same time, we offer exciting customer and fan experiences.”

At the same time, Andreas Roos, stated: “The Dakar project is a huge challenge for the entire team. We have a tight schedule to implement our innovative concept. We are the first car manufacturer to tackle the Dakar Rally with an electric drivetrain. Everyone in the team is working flatout so that we are ready to go in time for the 2022 Dakar.

“We will have one MGU on the front axle and one on the rear axle. A third MGU serves as a generator to charge the high-voltage battery while driving. Of course, we have to make modifications, because the desert has different challenges than in the cities where we are currently racing in Formula E: jumps, sand, the very long stages.

“But we can basically build on the expertise from Formula E and also from our Le Mans prototypes with the e-tron quattro. This engine is incredibly efficient and state of the art in terms of weight and consumption. The important thing is: our drivetrain is fully electric. The TFSI engine is only used to charge the batteries on the special stages.

“The battery has to be charged while driving, as there are currently no other options to do so in the desert.” Audi plans to run fully electric on all the liaison stages.” Audi is taking help from Q Motorsport team, who will be running the operation of the Dakar team, as they plan to reveal its driver line-up by May.

Here’s initial news of Audi planning a Dakar move

L'entrada Audi to use Le Mans, Formula E & DTM knowledge for Dakar challenger ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Having ridden the mini moto over the weekend post the doctors’ advise, Marquez stepped up the gears and rode the road-legal Honda RC213V-S on Tuesday, as he continues to push through to make a MotoGP return at Losail circuit for Qatar GP.

Marquez had his full racing suit on to ride the RC213V-S, spending the whole day, working through several programmes. It is indeed a race against time for him to be ready for 2021’s first round in Qatar – where he will get no rest, it being a double-header weekend.

Here’s collection of photo and videos of Marc Marquez riding:

https://twitter.com/marcmarquez93/status/1371862175078305794?s=20

https://twitter.com/HRC_MotoGP/status/1371781217713012737?s=20

Finishing touches… pic.twitter.com/XM5PlwR72U

— Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) March 16, 2021

https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1371884272416657413?s=20

Moving on to a bit of a rallying news, WRC champion Loeb announced an emotional parting with longtime co-driver Elena, ahead of the 2021 challenge. This ends a 23-year long partnership, where they have won several championships together.

Even though they didn’t win the Dakar event together so far, but they have ran five of them already. It was an emotional goodbye from Loeb to Elena, stressing that it was a hard phone call to make, while insisting that the friendship will remain forever.

“After five Dakar rallies together – and after discussions with the team – we came to the conclusion that maybe it would be good to try something else,” wrote Loeb. “It is not without a heartache that we will not start the next edition as teammates. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, or the easiest phone call to make after these 23 years, but I have no doubts about your ability to bounce back. We will have the opportunity to share our passion again together and to look back on our great moments.”

Here’s Marc Marquez riding a mini moto

L'entrada Video/Photo: Marquez rides RC213V-S; Loeb parts with co-driver Elena ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Driving for X-Raid Mini JCW Team, Peterhansel together with co-driver Edouard Boulanger, won the 2021 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, after surviving the grueling 12 stages. The Frenchman was consistent, if not the fastest, winning only Stage 9 in the process.

Taking both Car (8) and Bike (6), Peterhansel has won 14 Dakar events, his third with Mini and first since re-joining in 2019. He shared the podium with his teammate Carlos Sainz Sr (co-driver Lucas Cruz), who ended up third despite not having a clean run.

Sainz finished just over an hour behind Peterhansel, with wins in Stage 1, Stage 6 and Stage 12. Sandwiched between the two was Nasser Al-Attiyah (co-driver Matthieu Baumel) in his Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux. He won Stage 2-4, Stage 8 and Stage 11.

The Top 5 was rounded out by Overdrive’s Jakub Przygonski and Bahrain Raid Xtreme’s Nani Roma, neither of whom had any stage wins. The ones to had were Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Stage 7 & Stage 10) and Giniel de Villiers (Stage 5).

Here’s full results in Car: https://www.dakar.com/en/rankings

Over at Bike, it was a Honda 1-2 with Benavides registering his first-ever Dakar win after finishing second twice. He led 2020 winner and teammate Ricky Brabec by just the 4m56s after 12 stages, where the Argentine won Stage 5 and Stage 9.

Brabec, meanwhile, won Stage 7, Stage 10 and Stage 12 in a rally of attrition after troubles for Yamaha and KTM riders, where even the Honda pack felt the heat. The Top 3 was rounded by KTM’s Sam Sunderland, with just the sole win in Stage 11.

Rookie Daniel Sanders abode the KTM surprised everyone in fourth, as the Top 5 was rounded out by Skyler Howes. Again, neither of the riders won any stage, where Toby Price (Stage 1 & Stage 3), Joan Barreda Bort (Stage 2, Stage 4 & Stage 6) and Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Stage 8) had wins against their names.

While there were 63 classified finishers with more under Dakar Experience category, it was a sad end for Cherpin, who sadly lost his life after crashing in Stage 7, while traversing from Ha’il to Sakaka on January 10. He was unconscious when helicopter reached.

He was airlifted to the hospital and subsequently transferred to France in a medical plane. He lost his life on January 14 after unable to fight through a head trauma. It was Cherpin’s fourth Dakar after making his debut in 2009. He was racing in unassisted Malle class.

It is a strange co-incidence that Cherpin crashed in Stage 7, the same stage when Hero’s Paulo Goncalves also had a fall in the 2020 Dakar and sadly lost his life. His teammate CS Santosh is still fighting a head injury after his fall in Stage 4 of the 2021 edition.

Here’s the full results in Bike: https://www.dakar.com/en/rankings

[Note: The results of all classes can be found in the links above for Car and Bike]

Here’s the 2020 Dakar journey of Fernando Alonso

L'entrada Peterhansel, Benavides win 2021 Dakar in Car/Bike; Cherpin passes away ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Having spent a day at Maranello on Friday, new Ferrari F1 recruit Sainz Jr traveled to Aragon, to not only see his and father’s Extreme E team in action, but also have a go himself in the ODYSSEY 21 – an electric SUV made for extreme off-road racing.

The Dakar legend has entered with Laia Sanz under ACCIONA | Sainz XE team, where Movistar F1 reporter Albert Fabrega is the team principal. “I kind of expected my father to want to be involved in Extreme E and I saw him taking an interest, so we’ve been very busy the last three to four months with the project,” said Sainz Jr.

“It’s a whole new challenge and I see that they are working very hard to make the team as competitive as possible. The climate message behind Extreme E is really important as we need to make people more conscious of what’s going on in the world, while still producing a show and good racing,” Sainz Jr summed up.

https://twitter.com/ExtremeELive/status/1340275313058734081?s=20

https://twitter.com/ExtremeELive/status/1340301148536918016?s=20

It was the first collective test for Extreme E teams, where eight teams were present apart from Techeetah. It is unclear if the Monegasque-based team will compete in 2021 or not at this stage, while Veloce Racing only had Jamie Chadwick testing.

Others like X44, Rosberg Xtreme Racing, Andretti United, ABT Cupre XE, Chip Ganassi Racing and Hispano Suiza Xite Energy Team, had both their drivers present for the two-day run and undertook as much running they could ahead of Rd 1 in March in Saudi Arabia.

Driving for Lewis Hamilton’s X44’s Sebastien Loeb said: “The car is different to what I’m used to driving, so I was very happy to discover how powerful it is and with good traction and balance too – I’ve really enjoyed testing it out.

“It’s been great to work alongside the whole team while we get to know the vehicle and especially to drive alongside Cristina. She’s naturally a very skilled driver, as well as a hard worker, and I’m looking forward to having her as my partner in this new adventure.

“This weekend has also been a good opportunity for me to find out more detail about the series itself and the places we will be visiting. It’s a totally new concept so who knows how it will be, but I’m excited to start the season and begin competing against the other teams.”

At the same time, Nico Rosberg’s Xtreme Racing’s Johan Kristoffersson stated: “It’s been a great test for RXR. We came into the test excited to drive the RXR ODYSSEY 21 at full power for the first time and it didn’t disappoint.

“Everyone in the team has been focused on adapting and learning as quickly as possible which is important with very few chances to test the car between now and the start of the season.  We’ve gathered a lot of data over the two days and me and Molly have a good understanding between each other and with the car. It’s been a lot of fun and I already can’t wait to go racing in Season 1 next year.”

Meanwhile, Veloce’s Chadwick added: “It’s been a great couple of days being able to drive the Extreme E car at full power for the first time. Unfortunately, the fog meant we didn’t get as many laps as we would have liked but either way I’m always smiling when I drive this car. Lots to take in and be able to work on going into the season start next year.”

Suited, booted and ready for action! #ExtremeE #XETesting pic.twitter.com/rM0uYCaPwr

— Extreme E (@ExtremeELive) December 18, 2020

Halfway through the morning session and our drivers are well up to speed!#ExtremeE #XETesting pic.twitter.com/4zWoGnhiqg

— Extreme E (@ExtremeELive) December 18, 2020

It's the first ever session of Extreme E testing and we've already reignited this American rivalry!#ExtremeE #XETesting pic.twitter.com/TYNaydt2rr

— Extreme E (@ExtremeELive) December 18, 2020

https://twitter.com/andrettiunited/status/1339943368214888448?s=20

https://twitter.com/ExtremeELive/status/1339973415520878593?s=20

Join Sébastien Loeb for a lap of Extreme E pre-season testing!#ExtremeE #XETesting #TeamX44 pic.twitter.com/wh3kq32LQE

— Extreme E (@ExtremeELive) December 18, 2020

https://twitter.com/ExtremeELive/status/1340233325152268288?s=20

That's a wrap on #XETesting. Thanks for following and stay tuned for more content in the coming days!

Next, the cars are loaded up onto the St Helena and we're off to Saudi Arabia for Round 1!#ExtremeE pic.twitter.com/2pRYlkw5xt

— Extreme E (@ExtremeELive) December 19, 2020

Here’s the full calendar: https://www.extreme-e.com/en/race-calendar

Here’s photos of Carlos Sainz at Maranello

Here’s news of Carlos Sainz Sr joining Extreme E

L'entrada Sainz Jr tests Extreme E car as eight teams in action at Aragon ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

In a bombshell news on Monday, Audi AG announced its intention to leave Formula E after 2020/21 season, having competed in the all-electric championship since its inception in 2013/14. The news came after Mahindra Racing signed a new extension deal.

The idea behind leaving Formula E for Audi is to prepare for a return to sportscar racing in the LMDh category, which will be introduced in WEC from 2021 onward, while in IMSA, it will start from 2022 onward. The class is a combination of LMP1 and DPi.

The category has been created to bring WEC and IMSA closer, which especially allows sportscar teams to not only compete in Europe/Asia/Middle East but also in America. Audi wishes to compete both in Daytona 24 Hours and also Le Mans 24 Hours.

While sportscar is a familiar ground for Audi, the German giants is set to make its Dakar debut in 2022 with an innovative prototype. The concept combines an electric drivetrain with a high-voltage battery and a highly efficient energy converter for the first time.

With electrification of its fleet a big aim, Audi is looking to use advanced technology through LMDh and also Dakar, to expand its horizon in road cars. They will remain in Formula E via powertrain provider with Envision Virgin being one of its customers.

The customer racing will also continue with the Audi R8 LMS model from the manufacturer, which will be in use for endurance races like the Nurburgring 24 Hours and in international racing series such as the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

Additionally, Julius Seebach was named as its new motorsport head from December 1, 2020, onward as he will replace long-time head, Dieter Gass, in the role, who will switch to a different un-announced portfolio within the German manufacturer.

“A multifaceted commitment to motorsport is and will remain an integral part of Audi’s strategy,” said Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management and Board of Management Member for Technical Development and Product Lines at AUDI AG.

“We want to continue demonstrating the brand’s slogan ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in international top-level motorsport in the future and develop innovative technologies for our road cars. The toughest rally in the world is the perfect stage for this.

“Formula E has accompanied the transformation phase at Audi. Today, electromobility at the four rings is no longer a dream of the future, but the present. This is why we are taking the next step in electrified motorsport by facing the most extreme conditions. The many technical freedoms offered by the Dakar Rally provide a perfect test laboratory for us in this respect.”

New Audi motorsport boss, Seebach, added: “In addition, we are evaluating other possible fields of activity for us in international motorsport. In doing so, we have our customers’ wishes in mind as much as the company’s future strategy, which is clearly focused on electrification and carbon-neutral mobility.

“This is why we are intensively preparing to enter the new sports prototype category LMDh with its highlight races, the Daytona 24 Hours and Le Mans 24 Hours. The most important message for our fans is that motorsport will continue to play an important role at Audi.”

With the announcement from Audi, its long-time driver, Lucas di Grassi, also revealed his intentions to remain with the German manufacturer beyond its Formula E programme. “Today Audi announced that will leave Formula E to go back to hybrid sportscars (Le Mans, Daytona) and also will produce a Dakar electric vehicle.

“I have been with Audi for 10 years and I look forward to new challenges. My full attention NOW is to win again in FE. My relationship with Audi remains for the long term future. I started my Audi career in LMP1 prototypes in 2012 which I raced until 2016. I still dream of bringing that Le Mans victory for the first time to Brazil,” wrote di Grassi.

Here’s news from Mahindra regarding Formula E

Here’s Daniel Ricciardo revealing of Porsche Le Mans talks

L'entrada Audi preparing for LMDh, Dakar as it will leave Formula E after 2020/21 ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Defending champion, DS Techeetah, is latest to reveal its livery for the 2020/21 Formula E season. The car will be driven by the 2019/20 drivers’ champion, Antonio Felix da Costa, alongside teammate and former champion, Jean-Eric Vergne.

The combination remains the same with gold and black colours, but there is a different style applied for newness. The team also revealed that it will start the 2020/21 Formula E season using the 2019 old car, having opted to use that option.

They will bring their new Formula E car in April, thereby picking up the third option as per the FIA regulations for cost saving due to COVID-19. “Regarding this opportunity with homologation cycles we took the decision to develop two cars,” said Xavier Mestelan.

“For the first two events, we will use the season six homologation but with brand new software. The software is very important in Formula E, it’s the key to performance. After that, for the Rome E-Prix we will introduce the new homologation. It’s a brand-new powertrain with some ambitious technology. It’s very exciting as both drivers have already tested the [new] car and it seems to be very fast.”

Here’s some shots of new Formula E livery of DS Techeetah:

https://twitter.com/DSTECHEETAH/status/1331605887614644229?s=20

Here’s Mahindra Formula E with their launch

Dakar 2021 route:

The 2021 Dakar Rally will kick-start on January 3 and run until January 15 in Saudi Arabia, with six main categories to run. The rally will be flagged-off from Jeddah and end their after 12 stages. There will also be a Prologue before Stage 1 to fix the start positions.

“The world has been shaken to the core,” said David Castera. “Each and every one of us has felt the impact of the 2020 health crisis to some extent. Yet, over the last few months, the Dakar family has also been tried and found to be true to its spirit. My thoughts go out to all the people who had no choice but to sit out the 2021 Dakar despite their efforts and aspirations.

“However, I cannot hide my delight at seeing that there will be more than 300 vehicles on the start line in Jeddah, almost as many as last year. It means our emotional bonds with the Dakar can overcome huge challenges. Relying on the unyielding support of all the stakeholders in Saudi Arabia, the A.S.O. teams made the same show of determination as all these riders, drivers and co-drivers to organise the 43rd edition, make it happen and meet the competitors’ expectations.

“It is often said that being on the start line of the Dakar is a victory in itself. Come the 3rd of January, this maxim will be on everyone’s mind. Loyalty goes hand in hand with trust. Dakar fans have placed their trust in us. They have made the choice to follow us. Not blindly, but fully aware of how we do things and our sense of responsibility.

“In much the same way, our commitment to our core values has been our guiding light in preparing the 2021 Dakar. This is why we have taken new steps with a focus on navigation and safety. Our deeply held passion for nomadism spurs us on to continue exploring the deserts of Saudi Arabia. In our effort to keep the legend alive, we have also created the new “Dakar Classic” category for vehicles from the last century. After all, the ability to stay on track is crucial to doing well in the Dakar and a timeless recipe for success.”

Here’s the excerpt of the Prologue and the stages:

https://twitter.com/dakar/status/1331601533650124801?s=20

555 Competitors
321 Vehicles
144 Rookies
83 Legends
26 Dakar Classic vehicles
➡️ Only 1 Dakar#Dakar2021 pic.twitter.com/x8RO8ATZTB

— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) November 25, 2020

Here’s the Dakar 2021 entry list so far: https://www.dakar.com/en/entrylist-dakar2021

Here’s Fernando Alonso’s Dakar journey captured by Amazon Prime

L'entrada DS Techeetah shows 2020/21 Formula E livery; Dakar reveals 2021 route ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

With the OTT platform gaining momentum all across the globe, it wasn’t long for the two-time F1 champion, Alonso, to get into the act with his show named ‘Fernando’, which released last month on Amazon Prime Video – especially for the Spanish audience.

It has been dubbed into various other languages, including English, and carries subtitles as well. The five episode show had Alonso taking us behind the scenes in his journey between 2018 and 2020 – where he raced in three different championships.

The documentary show started with his initial Le Mans 24 Hours win, followed by Daytona 24 Hours victory and the F1 test with McLaren. It also showed the failed 2019 Indy500 attempt along with the second Le Mans 24 Hours win and the WEC title, which was combined with his switch to cross-country rallying.

The finale was mostly Dakar Rally, going in-depth into the new world he traveled into with his team, far away from the circuit racing. It fittingly ended with the announcement of his F1 return with Renault – teasing Season 2 of the show with Amazon Prime.

Here’s episode-by-episode summary of what to expect:

Episode 1 – I’m Not Stopping:

The show started showcasing the end of Alonso’s F1 career with McLaren as he contemplated about his future where Triple Crown was the biggest goal to attain. He wants to be known as the complete driver like the old times, when drivers raced everywhere.

It showcased his journey from Asturias to F1, where he achieved the unthinkable – at that time – being a two-time world champion with Renault. But with the end to that, it showed his step towards achieving Triple Crown by winning Le Mans 24 Hours.

The only remaining quest was Indy500, which is carried onto the second episode. The first episode also showed the Daytona 24 Hours win, as the show featured his sister, girlfriend, manager, and partner, sharing their thoughts as well.

Episode 2 – Lost For Words:

Carrying on from first episode, the second was mostly dedicated to the 2019 Indy500 run with McLaren in partnership with Carlin, which did not meet his expectations. It shows the behind the scenes difficulties they had during the whole event.

Episode 3 – Anything Is Possible:

After the disappointment of Indy500, the third episode looks beyond that and showcases his first step into cross-country rallying, where he headed to test in South Africa with Toyota. It was a time when he was just planning his next move.

The test programme was coupled with his second Le Mans 24 Hours win as it showed the behind the scenes of the race event. It was also the race which helped him clinch the WEC title along with Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima.

Episode 4 – Out Of My Comfort Zone:

With endurance racing a closed chapter for Alonso, the fourth episode talked about his potential Dakar move where they mixed it with potential F1 return as well for 2020 season. But with no seats there, the Spaniard was finally confirmed to enter Dakar.

The show had Carlos Sainz Sr and also Alonso’s co-driver Marc Coma – a multi-Dakar winner in Moto category. They started with Rally of Morocco, where the Spaniard had some difficult moments but managed to see the chequered flag with more experience.

It showed the start of 2020 Dakar in Saudi Arabia, the initial hiccups, where he and Coma had to go through tough times, which included a heavy crash, where they thought the journey was over but it eventually continued as shown in the fifth episode.

Episode 5 – Mission Accomplished:

The fifth episode carried on where the fourth ended, with the heavy crash. It then took us through the whole journey, where Alonso finally found some rhythm to eventually finish the grueling cross-country rally, as the show ended with his Renault announcement.

Here’s where you can watch the show: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0RIGJDK1LRBBH3K37YMRGIO9VZ/ref=atv_sr_def_c_unkc__1_1_1?sr=1-1&pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&pageTypeId=B08J4FGRKY&qid=1601987182

Here’s Renault on planning F1 test for Fernando Alonso

Here’s news on Fernando Alonso visit to Renault base

L'entrada Fernando: Episode-by-episode summary of Alonso’s Amazon show ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Having not raced in the 2020 edition after finishing on the podium in 2019, Loeb makes a return to Dakar in 2021 alongside Roma to race for Bahrain Raid Xtreme in the Cars category. The WRC legend and his teammate will drive car prepped up by Prodrive.

“BRX have big ambitions for the 2021 Dakar Rally and I’m excited to be a part of the journey with the team,” said Loeb. “There is an immense amount of experience in each area of the team; the best in the field with Prodrive, a track record of success from David Richards, and Bahrain’s rich history in motorsport.

“This combination is hard to rival, and I’m confident we will take to the dunes as strong contenders in next year’s Dakar,” summed up Loeb, who will have his fifth Dakar outing, the first time in a different car than Peugeot, with whom he achieve his best result of second place in 2017.

Meanwhile, BRX Team Director, David Richards commented: “On behalf of BRX, I am thrilled to welcome Sebastien to the team. He brings with him a wealth of Rally experience and is, we believe, one of the strongest drivers in the field. We look forward to working closely together over the next few months of testing, as we build towards next year’s race.”

UPDATE: Following the news of Loeb deciding to do Dakar, Hyundai announced a natural conclusion of a two-year deal with the Frenchman in WRC as he will do no more rallies for the Korean manufacturer in the 2020 season.

“What an adventure it has been,” said Loeb. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity during these two years within a very professional team and in a pleasant atmosphere. These two years have passed extremely quickly – this one having also been cut by several months as a result of the pandemic – but they will have marked part of my career, and with another manufacturer title success to which I contributed.

“Hyundai Motorsport gave me the best WRC car I have ever driven, and I was glad I could compete at the highest level with the latest generation of WRC cars. Now, a new chapter will open in 2021 with Prodrive in Rally Raid but who knows for WRC; neither Hyundai Motorsport nor I want to completely close the book for good.”

At the same time, Andrea Adamo added: “Ever since Seb and Danos joined our team, we have been privileged to have their wealth of expertise and experience in our team. All areas of our operation have benefitted from their know-how, directly or indirectly. Their contribution helped us to fight for – and win – the championship last season.

“Their knowledge and commitment was perfectly demonstrated in the tougher rallies like Chile and Turkey. Their performance in Turkey was a reminder to everyone of their ever-present ability and speed. We wish them all the best in their next chapter and keep our doors wide open to them should they ever wish to return.”

Here’s all the details about 2021 Dakar: https://www.dakar.com/en/

Here’s the route released by Dakar for 2021

L'entrada Loeb joins Roma to complete Bahrain Raid Xtreme line-up for 2021 Dakar ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Months his first run in the 2020 Dakar Rally, Alonso revealed about a five-part docuseries to be released on Amazon Prime Video later in 2020. During his announcement of a return to F1 with Renault, he released a teaser video of the same.

A full-fledged trailer has been released by Amazon Prime Video now, showcasing the early life of Alonso in karting, junior championships to his move to F1 and become a world champion. His switch to IndyCar, sportscar and Dakar will be shown as well.

In the time away from F1, Alonso not only secured the WEC title but also won prestigious races like Le Mans 24 Hours and Daytona 24 Hours, while he raced in Indy500 and also Dakar Rally. He is now ready to return to the category he dearly loves in 2021.

The show goes on air on September 25 in more than 240 territories. As per the trailer, it is likely that the docuseries has been shot in Spanish language with subtitles in English present. No details has been shared regarding any other language.

“We have gone one step further in the sports documentary genre on television to offer the most truthful, close and authentic portrait that has been done to date on Fernando Alonso,” said Laura Fdez. Espeso, Corporate and Television Director, The Mediapro Studio.

At the same time, Ricardo Cabornero, Head of Prime Video Content, Spain, added: “Fernando Alonso is an incredibly talented sportsman that continues to raise the bar in the auto race industry and is currently living one of the most important moments of his career.

“We couldn’t be happier to be able to offer our Prime members an inside look into this idol’s challenging career and life and keep building on our quality range of sports docuseries content on Prime Video.”

Here’s the full trailer of Fernando Alonso docuseries:

Here’s the teaser video released during Renault announcement

Here’s documentary details of Fernando Alonso with Amazon Prime

L'entrada Video: Amazon releases trailer, launch date of Alonso docuseries Fernando ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

In the midst of racing’s gradual return, the world-famous and one of the biggest cross-country, Dakar Rally, has had its 2021 dates announced, as well as its route in the upcoming event, that will begin and end in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

The event will start on the third day of the new year – January 3, and finish just two days shy of a fortnight later on January 15. The rest day is scheduled for the January 9, where competitors will stop in Ha’il. It will cover as many as eight regions.

Other announcements from Thursday include a new ‘Dakar Classics’ race, that will put pre-2000s rally raid cars – Dakar or otherwise – through their paces, running in tandem with the main event, as well as safety changes of slightly less significance.

Here’s Dakar’s official statement:

“Chapter 3 of the history of the Dakar is now in full swing. After the first edition held in the Middle East last January, the competitors and crews are heading back to Saudi Arabia to continue exploring the deserts of the country. The route designed for the 2021 edition is a loop course beginning and ending in Jeddah, where the toughest competitors will arrive a few days after the rest day in Ha’il, where the Saudi rally-raid community comes together every year. While the bivouac will revisit some of the places where it set up camp a few months ago, the specials will be 100% new.

“As the race enters uncharted territory, the measures taken in 2020 to put the focus on navigation will continue their natural progression. Road books will now be handed out in the morning right before the start of each special. Some categories will have digital road books. Furthermore, the rules have been amended to slow down the vehicles and, in general, to make the race even safer. Aural warnings in the approach to certain difficulties, the definition of “slow zones”, the reduction in the number of tyres available to bikers and the mandatory use of airbag vests will help to curb risks.

“The 2021 Dakar also takes a trip down memory lane with the launch of the Dakar Classic. In parallel with the main race, a test of consistency will be held for vehicles that took part in the Dakar or other major rally-raid events before the 2000s. The cars and trucks that forged the legend of the Dakar will be making a comeback… in time for chapter 3!”

Here’s news from Fernando Alonso not racing in 2021

L'entrada Dakar announces 2021 route/date, new event for pre-2000s cars ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.