Rally-Raid

Al-Attiyah and Loeb ready for revenge at Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

The second round of W2RC 2022 takes place in Abu Dhabi, where Sébastien Loeb will try to close his slim gap on Nasser Al-Attiyah. Registered outside the championship, Stéphane Peterhansel will also be there.

Published on 28/02/2022 à 15:14

Medhi Casaurang

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Al-Attiyah and Loeb ready for revenge at Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

The Toyota Hilux of Al-Attiyah-Baumel faces the BRX Hunter of Loeb-Lurquin at the 2022 Dakar. ©Eric Vargiolu / DPPI

There is not only the Dakar in the world of rally-raid! The Specialty World Championship (W2RC), set up in 2022 by Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and Motorcycling Federation (FIM) are heading into the second round of the season from March 5 to 10. After the Saudi desert, it's time for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

The second stage of the W2RC is a regular meeting place for sand enthusiasts. Indeed, it will be the 31st edition, the oldest event among the FIA ​​and FIM series (formerly World Cups). Compared to the Dakar, the forces present remain more or less identical.

Cars

En catégorie Auto, la bagarre sera belle entre Nasser Al-Attiyah-Mathieu Baumel (Toyota) and Sébastien Loeb-Fabian Lurquin (Bahrain Raid Xtreme). Arriving in this order at the Dakar 2022 at the end of a fight of almost two weeks, the Qatari driver and the winner of the last Rallye Monte-Carlo are separated by just one point in the general classification (85 pts for the crew of the Toyota Hilux and 84 pts for the BRX Hunter duo).

ALSO READ > Al-Attiyah wins the 2022 Dakar

The official Audi team, still analyzing the data collected on a successful Dakar (4 stage victories), is reducing the size to a hybrid RS Q e-tron (not registered in the W2RC). This will be given to Stéphane Peterhansel-Édouard Boulanger and should give a hard time to the thermal 4x4s in the T1+ class.

Speaking of thermal vehicles, Yazeed Al-Rajhi-Michael Orr (Toyota) will put on a show, as will Jakub Przygonski-Timo Gottschalk (Mini JCW Buggy). French hopes will not rest only on Baumel or Loeb because the independents Mathieu Serradori and Loïc Minaudier will try to play spoilsport aboard the Century CR6 buggy of the small but ambitious SRT structure.

T3

As for the light prototypes (T3), the Red Bull Off Road Junior Team will act as a scarecrow. The winners of the 2021 World Cup, Cristina Gutiérrez-François Cazalet, will want to capitalize on their third place in the Dakar. Seth Quintero-Dennis Zenz have not forgotten their incredible series of 11 scratch times and will have in the back of their minds the idea of ​​continuing their momentum.

Absent due to Covid-19 in Saudi Arabia, Mitch Guthrie Jr will return with Ola Floene. Too soon forced to abandon the Dakar, Guillaume de Mévius, navigated by Tom Colsoul, will want to continue his learning of rally-raid.

However, the favorite for T3 will be Francisco Lopez Contardo (South Racing). On his Can-Am, ''Chaleco'', masterful winner of the Dakar, is back with the Italian Paolo Ceci as co-pilot. A PH Sport Zephyr will make the trip for the French Jean-Luc Pisson Ceccaldi and Laurent Lichtleuchter.

SSV

Revelation of the SSV (T4) at the Dakar thanks to its third place during its very first rally-raid, the specialist in rallycross Rokas Baciuska (South Racing) will try to outsmart Austin Jones (Can-Am Factory). Both men will pilot the Can-Am Maverick XRS, as will a certain Conrad Rautenbach. But yes, the Zimbabwean free figure specialist on private Citroën Xsara and C4 in WRC !

>>W2RC Auto/T3/SSV entry list<

Motorcycle 

There will be 14 bikers registered in the W2RC aiming for victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge: GasGas, who won their first Dakar thanks to Sam Sunderland in the penultimate stage, will open the track with the Briton. His teammate Daniel Sanders will be out following his fall in January (broken arm).

Yamaha Motor Europe having announced the cessation of its team, Adrien van Beveren will skip the race. Ross Branch will, however, be present in his new colors, those of Hero Motorsports, which recorded its first stage success this winter at the Dakar. Honda will not make the trip empty with Ricky Brabec, Pablo Quintanilla and Ignacio Cornejo.

The juggernaut of the category, KTM, will wear No. 1 thanks to Kevin Benavides. Experts Toby Price and Matthias Walkner will be his sidekicks.

>>W2RC Moto entry list<

Medhi Casaurang

Passionate about the history of motorsport across all disciplines, I learned to read thanks to AUTOhebdo. At least that's what my parents tell everyone when they see my name inside!

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