2023 Dakar Rally
The 2023 Dakar Rally was a rally raid event held in Saudi Arabia and the 45th edition of the Dakar Rally organized by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). The event takes place between 31 December 2022 and 15 January 2023. This is the fourth time Saudi Arabia has hosted the event. For the second year running, the event is also the first round of the 2023 World Rally-Raid Championship.
| 2023 Dakar Rally | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Dakar Rally
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| Host country | Saudi Arabia | ||
| Dates run | 31 December 2022–15 January 2023 | ||
| Start | near Yanbu | ||
| Finish | Dammam | ||
| Stages | 14 | ||
| Stage surface | Sand, rocks, gravel, tarmac | ||
| Results | |||
| Cars winner | Nasser Al-Attiyah Mathieu Baumel Toyota Gazoo Racing | ||
| Bikes winner | Kevin Benavides Red Bull KTM Factory Team | ||
| Quads winner | Alexandre Giroud Yamaha Racing - SMX - Drag'On | ||
| Light Prototypes winner | Austin Jones Gustavo Gugelmin Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team USA By BFG | ||
| SSVs winner | Eryk Goczał Oriol Mena Energylandia Rally Team | ||
| Trucks winner | Janus van Kasteren Darek Rodewald Marcel Snijders Boss Machinery Team De Rooy Iveco | ||
| Classics winner | Juan Morera Lidia Ruba Toyota Classic | ||
The outline of the race route was presented on 5 June 2022. The route was started at a "Sea Camp" near Yanbu, on the Red Sea shore, and will finish in Dammam, at a Persian Gulf shore. The route returns to the Empty Quarter this year with three stages, including the marathon stage. The route will feature 70% new tracks, less liaison, and 5,000 kilometres of special stages. The route, details of which were revealed in November, has been described as longer, more difficult and with more dunes.