W2RC – The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge towards a new Al-Attiyah-Loeb duel?

The survivors of the terrible desert of the Empty Quarter during the Dakar 2023 have not finished with the dunes as far as the eye can see. The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC), second round of the World Championship of rally-raid (W2RC), will offer a tough excursion into the “Quart-Vide”, from February 26 to March 3, 2023.

In the FIA ​​category, there will be 30 of them tackling this sandy course. All eyes will be on the outgoing world champions and winners of the last Dakar, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel (Toyota). They are only two small points ahead of their pursuers, Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin (Bahrain Raid Xtreme). The two crews have in common that they suffered a mechanical breakdown from the first difficulties in the ADDC 2022.

To be classified among the favorites, Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winocq (GCK) will want to continue their momentum of a victory at the Rallye du Maroc at the end of 2022, and a stage victory at the Dakar last January. Third in the W2RC last year, Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk (Toyota) will look to move up in the general classification.

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We deplore the absence of any hybrid Audi in the FIA ​​entry list sent this Thursday, February 16. Stéphane Peterhansel, winner of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in 2022, leaves his co-driver Édouard Boulanger to recover after a fractured vertebra in the Dakar. Same evil and same consequence on the side of Carlos Sainz. Only Mattias Ekström made the trip to the Emirates. The Swede, however, swaps his German 4×4 for a Can-Am Maverick in the T3 class.

Also at Toyota, we will find the Argentinian Jan Cruz Yacopini (Overdrive Racing) and the driver Magdalena Zajac associated with the experienced Jacek Czachor (Proxcars TME Rally Team). Facing the four Hiluxes and the two Hunters, two X-raid Mini JCWs will be back in force with Sebastian Halpern and Denis Krotov, equipped with the brand new German T1+ which appeared last January. China will also be represented by two pairs of vehicles, as on the Dakar. Those of Hanwei Motorsport driven by Han Wei and Tian Po and those of BAIC ORV led by Guoyu Zhang and Yunliang Zi. Martin Prokop for his part will not be able to count on the support of the slightest teammate, which did not prevent him from finishing second in the ADDC general last year, already at the wheel of his Ford Raptor.

In T3, the leading roles should be played between the badge competitors Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team such as Austin Jones, Mitch Guthrie, Seth Quintero and Cristina Gutiérrez. The Alsatian Jean-Luc Ceccaldi (Zephyr) will try to cause trouble.

>>FIA entry list<