DAKAR
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DAKAR 2021
The Dakar Rally is the toughest motorsport race on the planet. It will throw two weeks of racing and cover almost 8,000 kilometres across Saudi Arabia.
New Dakar 2021 details unveiled – 1 prologue, 12 stages, 4800 kilometres of timed specials, two looping stages and a marathon stage are some of the main features that the ASO released today for the forthcoming 2021 Dakar Rally. The 43rd edition of the great challenge gets underway in just forty days time, with Monster Energy Honda Team, aiming to replicate last January’s victory.
The official presentation of the detailed route for the 2021 Dakar Rally – set to take place in Saudi Arabia – were digitally published today, detailing not only the finalized route, but also the specifics regarding each stage.
The ASO completed the final route for the 43rd Dakar with teams spending three weeks on the terrain in search of new and thrilling routes. The details reported back will see competitors forced to tackle more dunes, tougher treks and more navigation than the previous edition. ‘We want to give the competitors the very best’, outlined Dakar Race Director David Castera.
Castera laid out the finer points of each of the twelve stages, from the start in Jeddah to the finale in the great metropolis on the shores of the Red Sea some 7646 kilometres later – 4767 of which will be against the clock.
STAGE DATE START > FINISH Total Special P Saturday, January 2, 2021 Jeddah > Jeddah 11 km 11 km 1 Sunday, January 3, 2021 Jeddah > Bisha 622 km 277 km 2 Monday, January 4, 2021 Bisha > Wadi Al Dawasir 685 km 457 km 3 Tuesday, January 5, 2021 Wadi Al Dawasir > Wadi Al Dawasir 630 km 403 km 4 Wednesday, January 6, 2021 Wadi Al Dawasir > Riyadh 813 km 337 km 5 Thursday, January 7, 2021 Riyadh > Buraydah 625 km 419 km 6 Friday, January 8, 2021 Buraydah > Ha’il 655 km 485 km Rest day Saturday, January 9, 2021 Ha’il 7 Sunday, January 10, 2021 Ha’il > Sakaka 737 km 471 km 8 Monday, January 11, 2021 Sakaka > Neom 709 km 375 km 9 Tuesday, January 12, 2021 Neom > Neom 579 km 465 km 10 Wednesday, January 13, 2021 Neom > Al-Ula 583 km 342 km 11 Thursday, January 14, 2021 Al-Ula > Yanbu 557 km 511 km 12 Friday, January 15, 2021 Yanbu > Jeddah 452 km 225 km
The longest special stage will take in 511 kilometres on the penultimate stage, while the longest overall stage will feature a total of 813 kilometres on day four. The shakedown, the curtain-raising prologue, the race-start on January 2 and the final finish will all take place in Jeddah. The twelve stages, scheduled from January 3 to 15, 2021, with a rest day in Ha’il, will make a trek counter-clockwise through the Saudi Arabian landscapes. The race will feature one marathon stage following the rest day, where riders will be unable to receive mechanical assistance and will have to take extra care of their machines. Riders can look forward to a wide variety of complex stages, always a common feature at the Dakar, or as Castera put it in the presentation, “We never know just what is going to happen next.” Other data regarding this new edition include: 109 motorcycle participants among a total of 328 vehicles entrants. A total of 560 participants from 49 countries will take the starting ramp of the world’s toughest race.
Monster Energy Honda Team will, of course, be present with last year’s winner, American Ricky Brabec aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY, with the number 1 adorning the fairings. Alongside, José Ignacio Cornejo, Kevin Benavides and Joan Barreda will form the squad going in search of a repetition of the triumph claimed in early 2020.
Dakar 2021, new regulations
Among the novelties to be included in the 2021 Dakar, will be the roadbook given out twenty minutes prior to the start in each of the stages. This differs from last year’s edition where the roadbooks were distributed in this manner on only half of the stages. An important change is the limitation of only six rear tyres for the entire rally, which will force riders to be far more cautious. There will be also a limit to the number of piston changes, as well as a ban on carrying out any mechanical repairs during the refuelling. Finally, the use of jackets with airbags will be mandatory for all motorcycle riders.
EVERYTHING DAKAR 2021 EVERYTHING DAKAR 2021 EVERYTHING DAKAR 2021
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE F1 NEWS VIA Facebook AND Twitter

-
Formula 11 week ago
Porsche Ends F1 Dreams
-
Formula 11 week ago
Perez and Verstappen battle for supremacy in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
-
Formula 15 days ago
Brazilian court orders Nelson Piquet to pay nearly £780k for racist and homophobic comments against Hamilton
-
Formula 12 days ago
The Future of Charles Leclerc: Should He Stay or Should He Go?
-
MOTOGP5 days ago
MotoGP Sprint Race: Bagnaia Overtakes Martin to Take the Checkered Flag
-
Formula 11 week ago
The Private Life of Kelly Piquet and Max Verstappen