Henk and Brett will be taking part in their first Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. The pair had a strong opening week in this year’s Dakar Rally, holding onto 2nd place for the bulk of the first half of the event. But a rollover relegated them down the order, with the pair eventually bringing their GR DKR Hilux T1+ home in 5th place overall.
For Henk, racing in Abu Dhabi is an opportunity to broaden his experience in the dunes. Even though the crew tests in some of the biggest dunes in the world, near Walvis Bay in Namibia, the terrain is somewhat different in the Al Dhannah and Liwa Deserts, where the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge takes place. However, it closely resembles the dunes found in Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter, which has proven a critical part of the Dakar Rally over the past few editions.
This year’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is set to kick off with a prologue, to determine the starting orders for Stage 1, on Sunday 26 February. This will be followed by five stages, totalling 1,311km. The total distance for the event, including liaisons, will be 2,168km, with the timed stages varying in length between 208km and 310km. The event is scheduled to finish at the Energy Business Centre in Abu Dhabi City on Friday 3 March.
QUOTES:
Nasser Al-Attiyah: “We had the best possible start to the 2023 W2RC season, but even so we are behind in the driver standings. Our plan will be to push for victory in Abu Dhabi, in order to take the outright lead in the W2RC standings. Even so, you never know what the desert brings, and there are a lot of fast cars in the race this year. I’ll do my best, and we’ll see where that brings us by the end of the race.”
Henk Lategan: “Taking part in a round of the W2RC in addition to the Dakar Rally has long been one of my ambitions, and the terrain in Abu Dhabi closely resembles that of the Dakar itself. As such, the experience of racing in Abu Dhabi is invaluable, and I’m looking forward to measuring my speed against some of the fastest crews in the world, in an arena outside the Dakar. We know the GR DKR Hilux T1+ is up to the task – now it is down to myself and Brett to make the most of the opportunity.”
W2RC: Driver Standings after Dakar 2023
1. S. Loeb, Bahrain Raid Extreme – 87
2. N. Al-Attiyah, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing – 85
3. G. Chicherit, Prodrive – 49
4. M. Ekstrom, Team Audi Sport – 37
5. M. Prokop, Orlen Benzina Team – 31
W2RC: Manufacturer Standings after Dakar 2023
1. Bahrain Raid Xtreme – 66
2. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing – 65
3. X-Raid MINI JCW Team – 50
4. BAIC ORV – 40
