2024 WRC and Off Road Discussion *includes 'Dakar' *

[erwin greven]

A new year of Rally's and Rally Raids:

Presentation Dakar Rally 2024

[Cheeveer]

Meanwhile, Kalle Rovanperä just announced he will only run part-time in 2024! To "recharge the batteries" ahead of another title assault in 2025.

I can get it, he's already super successful, a good opportunity to do more racing for fun back home in Finland, staying fresh without all the travelling.

[DoubleFart]

He's 23 and a double world champion. He can get any seat he wants in WRC. Part-time sounds like a good opportunity to avoid burn-out whilst keeping your hand in.

It's also a good way to remind yourself of priorities. He may find he misses it and it reignites passion, or find he doesn't miss it and want to look at other avenues. He's a young guy - he should take advantage of his fortunate position.

[Cheeveer]

He's 23 and a double world champion. He can get any seat he wants in WRC. Part-time sounds like a good opportunity to avoid burn-out whilst keeping your hand in.

It's also a good way to remind yourself of priorities. He may find he misses it and it reignites passion, or find he doesn't miss it and want to look at other avenues. He's a young guy - he should take advantage of his fortunate position.

Exactly that.

So, will 2024 be Hyundai's year? lol, they will probably fluff it harder than ever.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Dakar champ Walkner ruled out of 2024 race due to broken leg

2018 Dakar (bike) champion Matthias Walkner took a tumble during training on December 5, sustaining a broken tibia, fibula, and ankle joint, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing announced.

There has also been a scare for team-mate and 2023 Dakar Rally winner Kevin Benavides after a separate incident, but the Argentine is expected to start the prologue in AlUla on January 5.

Walkner, though, has already undergone surgery in California and will need another operation at some stage, with the aim being for that to occur at home.

It means that Red Bull KTM is down to two riders, the other being two-time Dakar champion and 2023 runner-up Toby Price, who will ride with the #2 plate next month.

[Everso Biggyballies]

FIA publishes new 2024 WRC points system

Confirmation that the WRC will embrace a new points structure in order to spice up the final day of events was ratified at the World Motor Sport Council in Baku earlier this month.

Now the FIA has published the WRC's 2024 sporting regulations which include the exact details of the new points structure. All sounds a bit complicated and having points for Saturday then more points for Sunday and more again for the power stage. Oh and if you score points on Saturday but dont finish on Sunday you then lose the points you scored on Saturday. All to stop drivers cruising on the Sunday to save tyres for the power stage. I can sort of see the logic behind the aim of getting guys to push hard on Sunday, and the maximum points potentially won for a weekend remain the same so it wont set things up for a situation where the fast guys make more points than ever and we end up with a runaway leader mid season. Give it a chance before I judge it and se how it works in reality.

Under the new system, the sliding scale of 18-15-13-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 points will be awarded at the end of Saturday's final classification, but only if a crew reaches the final classification of the rally at the end of Sunday.

If a crew fails to finish on Sunday, the Saturday points will be awarded to the next best-placed pairing.

The biggest change sees championship points now awarded specifically on Sunday's performance. The prime reason for the introduction of this points system is to prevent drivers from cruising through Sunday's stages preserving tyres for the end-of-rally Power Stage.

Competitors will do battle for a maximum of seven points on Sunday. Points will be awarded as follows to the top seven competitors via the following sliding scale; 7-6-5-4-3-2-1.

The Power Stage will remain unchanged with the top five fastest drivers receiving bonus points, five points being the maximum.

If a driver completes a perfect rally they will continue to score a total of 30 points as per the previous regulations.

https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/fia- ... /10558450/

[SBan83]

Definitely creates a risk/reward situation on Sunday before the power stage. I like it.

[Everso Biggyballies]

A new year of Rally's and Rally Raids:

Presentation Dakar Rally 2024

Just a reminder for those into the event but the Dakar prologue kicks the 2024 event off tomorrow Friday.

Dakar Rally preview: The leading contenders for victory in 2024

Toyota has been the dominant force in the Dakar Rally for the past two years. But with its star driver Nasser Al-Attiyah heading to pastures new at Prodrive, the fight for victory in the cars’ category is now wide open.

Lets not kid ourselves here.... to me the event has lost a lot of the appeal of the past and I will neer see the Middle East as its true home. But hey, it is what it is and what else is there to follow at this time of year!

The reality is the 2024 Dakar Rally will be the fifth successive event to take place entirely in Saudi Arabia, but organiser ASO has laid out a route that will be vastly different to previous years.

One of the biggest highlights of this year’s challenge is a two-day ‘chrono stage’, where competitors will have until 4pm to cover as much ground as possible before halting at the next bivouac they come across. They will head out again the following morning at 7am in order to be the first to reach the finish line, covering a competitive distance of nearly 600km in the process. To add to the difficulty, no assistance from teams will be allowed overnight as per ‘marathon stage’ rules, meaning drivers will have to fend for themselves in case of any technical drama.

Who is in for the win?

Probably down to one of 4 manufacturers. Thats Prodrive, Toyota, Audi and with a bit of a toe in the water strategy for this year we hve Ford with its Ranger

Prodrive have been there or thereabouts for a few years but this year things are getting serious.... 2024 marks its best chance to finally bag that elusive victory with the Hunter T1+. With Al-Attiyah now leading its attack, Prodrive can claim to have a line-up that is on par with Audi’s, except it won’t have to deal with an overly complicated hybrid system.

Al-Attiyah has already completed two events in the Hunter buggy and, given that he has won Dakar with three different manufacturers,.... Oh and lets not forget Deb Loeb in a Prodrie as well. Another five Prodrive-built Hunters will contest this year’s event under different banners,

Toyota

Leading the charge will be 2009 winner Giniel de Villiers, the only member of Toyota’s 2023 line-up that has been retained by tToyota. The South African has finished inside the top five at all but two occasions since he joined Toyota back in 2012 - and this year offers him a chance to emerge out of Al-Attiyah’s shadows and repeat the kind of success he enjoyed at Volkswagen in the late noughties and early 2010s.

Audi

Audi were at best underwhelming last year.... quick but fragile. Audi will continue with the same driver line-up for a third year in succession as it aims to bounce back from the disappointment of 2023 and mount a bona fide assault on the overall win. This should come as no surprise to anyone, as Stephane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz Sr and Mattias Ekstrom are all proven talents, each with an impressive record of their own.

Peterhansel, of course, is the most successful competitor in the history of Dakar, while four-time winner Sainz Sr has shown no signs of slowing down since entering his 60s. Ekstrom, meanwhile, has transferred his speed from circuit racing and rallycross to this discipline and was Audi’s lone remaining finisher in 2023 after Peterhansel and Sainz retired from the rally due to different reasons.

Together, the trio should all be able to challenge for victory, provided the Audi RS Q e-tron proves quick and reliable in equal measure.

(FWIW Al Attiyah reckons Audi will all be on their way home by the end of Day3!)


Ford

Ford will enter the Dakar Rally as a factory this year..... 2024 will only be an exploratory effort for them, as it enters the field with an updated version of the Ranger built by South Africa-based Neil Woolridge Motorsport. It won’t be until next year that Ford Performance builds an all-new, Dakar-spec Ranger, together with NWM and M-Sport.

But that doesn’t mean one shouldn’t take notice of Ford’s efforts, especially as the very involvement of the American manufacturer and its WRC partner M-Sport could threaten the existing order.

Ford has also signed 2014 winner Nani Roma to lead the programme, with South African Gareth Woolridge driving the other works Ranger. Martin Prokop, who secured a solid sixth-place finish last year in a Ford Raptor, will also be driving a customer-entered Ranger in this year’s event.

Event website. https://www.dakar.com/en/

Competitor listings all categories. https://www.dakar.com/en/competitors




2024 Route


STAGE DATE START AND FINISH RACE DISTANCE
Total | Special
P Friday, january 5, 2024 ALULA > ALULA 158 km | 28 km PROLOGUE
1 Saturday, january 6, 2024 ALULA > AL HENAKIYAH 541 km | 414 km STAGE 1
2 Sunday, january 7, 2024 AL HENAKIYAH > AL DUWADIMI 655 km | 463 km STAGE 2
3 Monday, january 8, 2024 AL DUWADIMI > AL SALAMIYA 733 km | 438 km STAGE 3
4 Tuesday, january 9, 2024 AL SALAMIYA > AL-HOFUF 631 km | 299 km STAGE 4
5 Wednesday, january 10, 2024 AL-HOFUF > SHUBAYTAH 645 km | 118 km STAGE 5
6. superstage-48h Thursday, january 11, 2024
Friday, january 12, 2024 SHUBAYTAH > SHUBAYTAH 781 km | 572 km STAGE 6

- Saturday, january 13, 2024 RIYADH REST DAY

7 Sunday, january 14, 2024 RIYADH > AL DUWADIMI 873 km | 483 km STAGE 7
8 Monday, january 15, 2024 AL DUWADIMI > HAIL 678 km | 458 km STAGE 8
9 Tuesday, january 16, 2024 HAIL > AL ULA 639 km | 417 km STAGE 9
10 Wednesday, january 17, 2024 AL ULA > AL ULA 612 km | 371 km STAGE 10
11 Thursday, january 18, 2024 AL ULA > YANBU 587 km | 480 km STAGE 11
12 Friday, january 19, 2024 YANBU > YANBU 328 km | 175 km STAGE 12

For Aussies,

SBS will be running their uual daily 1 hr highlights package of Bikes Cars Trucks Buggies etc.... 5pm daily for the previous days highlights, but if you are keen the programme will be available on SBS On Demand the morning after (ie 10 hours before the programmed showing)

[Everso Biggyballies]

Forgot to mention but for those of us into the history there will of course be the Dakar Classic running in tandem. All the cars from the Classic Years of Dakar reliving their youth!





Last years Classic highlights

[Everso Biggyballies]

Some news in regarding one of the Motorbike leading lights and the problems he faces.

Dakar contender missing bike due to customs drama

Dakar Rally contender Mason Klein is currently without his motorcycle as the close of scrutineering looms, after it was held up by customs.

The 22-year-old, who was just 13 seconds off the overall lead when the field reached the rest day last year, is set to ride a Kove in Dakar 2024.

However, his motorcycle is still stranded in Dubai, where it was delayed by customs.

A van has been sent from the bivouac to fetch the bike, but that is a 4000km round trip to the Emirati city and back to AlUla, in Saudi Arabia’s west, where the Prologue takes place on Friday.

There is thus no guarantee that the van will return with its precious cargo before scrutineering closes on Thursday afternoon (local time; Friday morning AEDT).

If indeed it is not back in time, then Klein would not be out of the race completely, with back-up plans including reverting to his old bike, or sourcing a KTM from the bivouac.

Nevertheless, it would be a setback for the American, who burst onto the Dakar scene in 2022 with a finish of ninth overall and top rookie honours.

They get the back back to Saudi in time to be scrutineered before the start.

[Everso Biggyballies]

LIVE STREAM of the Podium Prologue start of the event.

Currently showing the start of the Dakar Classic.

[erwin greven]

I'm watching this stream now, but it is incomparable with the original Paris - Dakar Rally. No atmosphere at all.

[Everso Biggyballies]

I'm watching this stream now, but it is incomparable with the original Paris - Dakar Rally. No atmosphere at all.

Yes the event has lost a lot of the appeal of the former days. Sad but I still follow it at arms length.

The Prologue has been run......Ekstrom sets pace , Sainz struggles.

Audi driver Mattias Ekstrom has set the quickest time in the Cars Prologue at the 2024 Dakar Rally while team-mate Carlos Sainz was 48th.
Ekstrom completed the 28km special in AlUla in a time of 16:35s in his RS Q e-tron, while 2023 Dakar champion Nasser Al-Attiyah ended up 12th in his first event in a Prodrive Hunter.

Al-Attiyah’s replacement at Toyota Gazoo Racing, Seth Quintero, was second on the day in his Toyota Hilux, 23 seconds slower than Ekstrom, with Sebastien Loeb third at another 15 seconds off the pace in a Bahrain Rain Xtreme Hunter.

Al-Attiyah’s relatively slow start was due to a navigational error although, in the case of the Cars, Prologue results do not count towards the overall time this year and hence it could be a blessing in disguise.

Mr Dakar’, Stephane Peterhansel, set the seventh-fastest time in his RS Q e-tron, 45 seconds slower than that achieved by team-mate Ekstrom.

In the other Team Audi Sport entry, Sainz was just 48th fastest and hence will be running in the pack on Stage 1, with the three-time Dakar champion admitting to “several mistakes.”

Now the event starts for real with the opening stage proper takes the field from AlUla to Al Henakiyah, a 541km distance including a 414km special.

Prologue: Cars Top 10

Pos Num Nat Driver Team Time Gap
1 207 SWE MATTIAS EKSTRÖM TEAM AUDI SPORT 00H 16′ 30”
2 216 USA SETH QUINTERO TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 00H 16′ 53” + 00H 00′ 23”
3 203 FRA SEBASTIEN LOEB BAHRAIN RAID XTREME 00H 17′ 08” + 00H 00′ 38”
4 242 BRA MARCOS BAUMGART X RALLY 00H 17′ 08” + 00H 00′ 38”
5 245 BRA CRISTIAN BAUMGART X RALLY 00H 17′ 14” + 00H 00′ 44”
6 217 POL KRZYSZTOF HOLOWCZYC X-RAID MINI JCW TEAM 00H 17′ 14” + 00H 00′ 44”
7 202 FRA STÉPHANE PETERHANSEL TEAM AUDI SPORT 00H 17′ 15” + 00H 00′ 45”
8 229 FRA LIONEL BAUD OVERDRIVE RACING 00H 17′ 17” + 00H 00′ 47”
9 208 CZE MARTIN PROKOP ORLEN JIPOCAR TEAM 00H 17′ 19” + 00H 00′ 49”
10 219 RSA BRIAN BARAGWANATH CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM 00H 17′ 25” + 00H 00′ 55”



BIKES

In the Bikes happy to say Mason Klein got his bike to the start just in time, just making the scrutineering deadline after a 4000 klm round trip in a truck to get his bike from Dubai where it was held up by Customs.

Schareina pips Sanders to Dakar Prologue win
Honda’s Tosha Schareina has pipped Australian GasGas rider Daniel Sanders to the fastest time in the Bikes Prologue

The Prologue around AlUla was deliberately chosen to be challenging, with plenty of rocks and sand. However, making matters even more difficult for the Bikes competitors was they fact that they were not opening the road, with the Mission 1000 category for alternate-powered vehicles given the honour of going first..... Sanders had a few words. “The first Prologue was really rough and tough with a lot of traffic in front of us. it wasn’t normally like the smooth line with 10 or 15 bikes; it was 180 vehicles in front of us so it was really broken and it was hard.

“It was really hard to focus on the roadbook, but I just tried to push the tracks as much as possible and try not to get lost.

Notables further back include 2020 Dakar champ Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda), an early DNF last year, in 13th position, just ahead of Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo (Monster Energy Honda) and Joan Barreda Bort (Hero Motosports).

As with the cars now it starts for real..... that is will be on an all-new stage from AlUla to Al Henakiyah, with riders to make their way around volcanoes in a journey spanning 541km, of which 414km is special running.


General classification: Bikes Top 10

Pos Num Nat Rider Team Time Gap
1 68 ESP TOSHA SCHAREINA MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 00H 17′ 35”
2 5 AUS DANIEL SANDERS RED BULL GASGAS FACTORY RACING 00H 17′ 47” + 00H 00′ 12”
3 46 BOT ROSS BRANCH HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY 00H 17′ 54” + 00H 00′ 19”
4 42 FRA ADRIEN VAN BEVEREN MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 00H 17′ 59” + 00H 00′ 24”
5 1 ARG LUCIANO BENAVIDES HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING 00H 18′ 01” + 00H 00′ 26”
6 4 GBR SAM SUNDERLAND RED BULL GASGAS FACTORY RACING 00H 18′ 03” + 00H 00′ 28”
7 7 CHI PABLO QUINTANILLA MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 00H 18′ 22” + 00H 00′ 47”
8 2 AUS TOBY PRICE RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 00H 18′ 26” + 00H 00′ 51”
9 47 ARG KEVIN BENAVIDES RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 00H 18′ 31” + 00H 00′ 56”
10 98 USA MASON KLEIN KORR OFFROAD RACING 00H 18′ 33”

[Everso Biggyballies]

Day 1 Highlights

4 minute highlights



Extended (10 minute) highlights (Have to click the play on youtube button)

[Everso Biggyballies]

Stage 1 extended highlights (9 mins)

Click watch on youtube to watch.


BIKES

Branch set to take Dakar lead, Sanders top 10 after dramatic Stage 1
Ross Branch is set to be credited with the Dakar lead after stopping to assist Prologue winner Tosha Schareina when the Spaniard crashed out on Stage 1.

2020 event winner Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) is currently classified in the overall lead, four seconds up on fellow American Mason Klein (KORR Offroad Racing).

Daniel Sanders is best of the two Australians in eighth at 4:53s off the pace on his GasGas Factory Racing, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price is 14th at 11:58s away from top spot.

However, they are all set to be demoted a position, pending a time compensation of about 25 minutes for Branch after the Hero Motorsports rider stopped to assist Schareina. **Now Confirmed**

General classification: Bikes Top 10, Updated

Pos Num Nat Rider Team Time Gap
1 46 BOT ROSS BRANCH HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY 04H 56′ 01”
2 9 USA RICKY BRABEC MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 05H 06′ 55” + 00H 10′ 54”
3 98 USA MASON KLEIN KORR OFFROAD RACING 05H 07′ 20” + 00H 11′ 19”
4 18 RSA BRADLEY COX BAS WORLD KTM RACING TEAM 05H 08′ 55” + 00H 12′ 54”
5 11 CHI JOSE IGNACIO CORNEJO FLORIMO MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM 05H 09′ 44” + 00H 13′ 43”
6 16 FRA ROMAIN DUMONTIER TEAM DUMONTIER RACING 05H 10′ 07” + 00H 14′ 06”
7 15 ESP LORENZO SANTOLINO SHERCO RALLY FACTORY 05H 10′ 12” + 00H 14′ 11”
8 47 ARG KEVIN BENAVIDES RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING 05H 11′ 38” + 00H 15′ 37”
9 5 AUS DANIEL SANDERS RED BULL GASGAS FACTORY RACING 05H 12′ 55” + 00H 16′ 54”
10 23 CZE MARTIN MICHEK ORION – MOTO RACING GROUP 05H 13′ 13” + 00H 17′ 12”
16th Toby Price +0:23:20


CARS
Overdrive Toyota driver Guillaume de Mevius claimed a surprise win in the first full stage of the Dakar Rally, beating Carlos Sainz in a stage which caught out Prodrive duo Nasser Al-Attiyah and Sebastien Loeb.

Prologue winner Mattias Ekstrom had been fastest all the way to the Kilometre 225 waypoint on Stage 1 until he lost about eight minutes and gave up the lead to fellow Team Audi Sport driver Sainz.

Giniel De Villiers took third at 9:18s off the pace in his Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux, ahead of Vaidotas Zala (X-Raid Arijus JCW) and Romain Dumas (Rebellion Toyota Hilux).

Ekstrom slipped to 10th, 14:20s away from top spot, with Sebastien Loeb (Bahrain Raid Xtreme) next of the big names in 19th at 22:47s off the pace.

Both Loeb and Prodrive Hunter stablemate Al-Attiyah were hit by punctures, the latter of whom copped two in the first 50km and had to tread carefully thereafter in the rocky terrain.

Al-Attiyah is 22nd at 24:47s from the lead while Audi’s Stephane Peterhansel is more than half an hour back in 26th.


General classification: Cars Top 10

Pos Num Nat Driver Team Time Gap
1 221 BEL GUILLAUME DE MEVIUS OVERDRIVE RACING 04H 35′ 59”
2 204 ESP CARLOS SAINZ TEAM AUDI SPORT 04H 37′ 43” + 00H 01′ 44”
3 209 RSA GINIEL DE VILLIERS TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 04H 45′ 17” + 00H 09′ 18”
4 214 LTU VAIDOTAS ZALA X-RAID ARIJUS TEAM 04H 46′ 41” + 00H 10′ 42”
5 231 FRA ROMAIN DUMAS REBELLION RACING 04H 48′ 17” + 00H 12′ 18”
6 206 BRA LUCAS MORAES TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 04H 49′ 24” + 00H 13′ 25”
7 243 RSA GUY DAVID BOTTERILL TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 04H 49′ 38” + 00H 13′ 39”
8 201 KSA YAZEED AL RAJHI OVERDRIVE RACING 04H 49′ 38” + 00H 13′ 39”
9 212 FRA MATHIEU SERRADORI CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM 04H 50′ 11” + 00H 14′ 12”
10 207 SWE MATTIAS EKSTRÖM TEAM AUDI SPORT 04H 50′ 19” + 00H 14′ 20”




Dakar Classic Stage 1 Highlights