SAN JUAN: Saudi world champion driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi began the defense of his Desafio Ruta 40 Rally title in Argentina on Monday. The event marks the third round of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship and is part his preparations for next year’s Dakar Rally.
Al-Rajhi and his German co-driver Timo Gottschalk, Dakar winners in 2025, entered this week’s race facing strong competition from a world-class field in the top-tier Ultimate category at what is considered one of the most demanding and diverse rounds of the championship in terms of terrain and stages. As such it represents a key test of the technical and physical readiness of the drivers and their Toyota Hilux prepared by Overdrive Racing.
“Desafio Ruta 40 holds special memories for me after our victory in the 2024 edition, but this year we return with a new mindset and greater focus to deliver a strong performance and benefit from every kilometer as part of our journey toward our future goals, especially the Dakar Rally,” Al-Rajhi said.
The event returns to the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship calendar this year after an absence last season. It consists of five competitive stages covering a total distance of 2,993 kilometers, including 1,727 kilometers of timed special stages. The event began in San Juan on Monday and will head toward San Rafael on Tuesday before looping back San Juan for the final stage on Friday.
Stage 3 in Wednesday will feature the longest special stage of the rally, more than 400 kilometers, making it one of the toughest technical and physical challenges for drivers and their teams, not least because the varied terrain includes rocky tracks, sand dunes and fast open sections.
The event in Argentina also represents an important opportunity for Al-Rajhi and his team to continue to develop their performance and gain valuable competitive experience. The demanding combination of dunes, dry riverbeds, rocky terrain and the Andes mountains mean the event is one of the closest in nature to the challenges of the Dakar Rally.
With his win in 2024, Al-Rajhi became the first Saudi driver to claim victory at the event in Argentina, which was first staged in 2010 was included as a round of the World Rally-Raid Championship for the first time in 2023.
More than 100 vehicles driven by some of the world’s top racers are competing this year across a number of categories for cars and bikes in what many expect to be one of the most competitive and exciting rounds of the season.
“The Argentine rally always presents different challenges due to the variety of terrain and the length of the special stages, which makes it an important test for us as a team,” said co-driver Gottschalk.
“Our goal this year is to maintain consistency and deliver a smart performance that helps us continue improving throughout the season.”
