The 2021 Dakar Rally was a rally raid event held in Saudi Arabia and the 43rd edition of the Dakar Rally. The event was held for 14 days, starting from 3 January and ended 15 January 2021. It was the second time Saudi Arabia had hosted the event, with support from the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation. The race started and ended in Jeddah, allowing the competitors to venture through the desert and alongside the Red Sea. The route consists of one prologue stage and 12 normal stages, with one rest day in Ha'il on 9 January. The rally was originally intended to run through 2–3 additional countries, with Egypt and Jordan being rumoured likely candidates. However, due to travel and border restrictions implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the route stayed entirely within Saudi Arabian territory.
Summary The route A completely new route has been put together, described as a lot slower, more varied, and more technical. The route includes 1 Prologue stage, 12 stages including 2 loop stages, 1 marathon stage. The exact route was revealed in November 2020.
Changes There will be a Prologue stage that will determine the starting positions for Stage 1. The Road Books will only be distributed 10 min. prior to the start of the stage. There will be an option of a digital roadbook. New classifications will be introduced for T3: Light Proto, T4: SSV, T5: Truck. The Elite / Priority Driver list will be extended from bike only to all categories. Original by MOTUL category will continue, which limits and controls on the use of external assistance. Improvements in safety include a speed limit of 90 km/h in hazardous sectors, mandatory first aid training certificate for all competitors, automatic Sentinel sound warning system for dangers classed level 2 and 3, and mandatory airbag vests for all bike and quad drivers. New regulations for Elite bikers will see a limit of 1 piston change and 6 rear tires for the whole rally; all tires will need to be the same brand and model. Bikers will not be allowed assistance during the refueling. The organizers are promoting vehicles using alternative energy sources by introducing a 50% registration fee discount in all categories, introducing a prize in the Alternative Energy Challenge, and introducing new regulations for these vehicles. Dakar Experience ranking and regulations have been revamped, it will only be available for amateur, non-Elite/Priority drivers. A new Dakar Classic class will be introduced for cars and trucks manufactured before 2000, or new cars built to original pre-2000 specification. These vehicles will share the same bivouac and the organization but will run in a parallel, yet different route, suitable for historic vehicles. The class will feature a reduced entry fee, yet the same rules and fees will apply for the assistance.
Further changes came just before the event, when revamped FIA regulations for Cross-Country rally stipulated speed limits across all categories. Vehicles in the T1 and T2 (Cars) categories were now restricted to while vehicles in the T3, T4, and T5 categories (Light Prototypes, UTVs, and Trucks) were limited to . Motorcycles and Quads had already been subjected to speed limits for several years.
This year is the first time cars are allowed to run turbocharged petrol engines, previously only diesels could be turbocharged. The first makers to avail of this regulation were Prodrive with its new BRX Hunter car.
Entry list Number of entries StageBikesQuadsCarsUTVsTrucksClassicsTotalEntry list 108 21 67 58 42 26 322At start line 101 16 64 61 44 24 310Rest day 78 14 53 49 24 24 242Finished (including Dakar Experience) 63(67) 11(12) 48(52) 41(50) 20(21) 23(23) 206(225)
Vehicles and Categories
CategoryBikesQuadsCarsSxSUTVsTrucksClassics Class Description Class Description Class Description Class Description Class Description Class Description Class Description G1.1A.S.O. "Elite"G3.1750cc 2WD quadsT1.1T1 petrol 4x4 modified T3.1 Light Prototypes T4.1 Production SSVs turbo T5.1 Production Trucks G2.1"Non-Elite" Super-ProductionG3.2900cc 4WD quadsT1.2T1 diesel 4x4 modified T4.2 Production SSVs non-turbo T5.2 Modified Trucks G2.2"Non-Elite" "Marathon" T1.3 T1 petrol 2WD modified T4.3 Rapid Assistance Vehicles T1.4 T1 diesel 2WD modified T1.5 T1 with SCORE approval T2.1 T2 petrol production T2.2 T2 diesel production T2.C T2 production other TAS Special Stage Assistance OP.1 Renewable Energy Powered
Separate rankings for women and newcomers in each category, "Original by Motul" for bikes, as well as 6x6, <10 L engine size, alternative energies rankings for trucks.
Note – The "Dakar Legends" - competitors that participated in 10 or more Dakar events. – The first time starters - "rookies". – Competitors that were not able to start the race. – Competitors participating in "Original by Motul" — limited assistance marathon class. No. Driver Bike Team Class 1 Ricky Brabec Honda CRF450R Monster Energy Honda Team 2021 G1.1 2 Pablo Quintanilla Husqvarna FR 450 Rally Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Facing G1.1 3 Toby Price KTM 450 Factory Red Bull KTM Factory Racing G1.1 4 Honda CRF450R Monster Energy Honda Team 2021 G1.1 5 Sam Sunderland KTM 450 Factory Red Bull KTM Factory Racing G1.1 6 Yamaha WR450F Rally Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team G1.1 7 Yamaha WR450F Rally Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team G1.1 9 KTM 450 Rally Replica BAS Dakar KTM Racing Team G1.1 11 Štefan Svitko KTM 450 Rally Replica Slovnaft Rally Team G1.1 12 Xavier de Soultrait Husqvarna FR 450 Rally HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing G1.1 15 Sherco 450 RTR Sherco TVS Rally Factory G1.1 17 KTM 450 Rally FN Speed - Rieju Team G1.1 18 Ross Branch Yamaha WR450F Rally Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team G1.1 19 Rui Jorge Gonçalves Dias Sherco 450 RTR Sherco TVS Rally Factory G2.1 20 Adam Tomiczek Husqvarna FR 450 RR Orlen Team G2.1 21 Daniel Sanders KTM 450 Factory Red Bull KTM Factory Racing G2.1 22 Maciej Giemza Husqvarna FR 450 RR Orlen Team G2.1 23 KTM 450 Rally Replica Jakes Dakar Team 24 Sebastian Bühler Hero 450 Rally Hero Motosports Team Rally G2.1 25 Paul Spierings Husqvarna FR 450 Rally HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing G2.1 26 Milan Engel KTM 450 Rally Replica Moto Racing Group G2.1 27 Joaquim Rodrigues Hero 450 Rally Hero Motosports Team Rally G2.1 29 Emanuel Gyenes KTM 450 Rally Replica Autonet Motorcycle Team G2.2 30 Arūnas Gelažninkas KTM 450 Rally Replica Zigmas Dakar Team G2.1 31 KTM 450 Rally Replica Moto Racing Group G2.1 32 Tosha Schareina KTM 450 Rally FN Speed - KTM Team G2.2 33 Harith Noah Koitha Veettil Sherco 450 RTR Sherco TVS Rally Factory G2.1 34 Mário Patrão KTM 450 Rally Credit Agricola - Mario Patrao Motosport 35 Juan Pablo Guillen Rivera KTM 450 Rally 2021 Nomadas Adventure G2.1 36 Jan Brabec KTM 450 Rally Replica Strojrent Racing G2.1 37 David Pabiška KTM 450 Rally Jantar Team G2.2 39 Benjamin Melot KTM 450 Rally Replica Benjamin Melot G2.1 41 Zaker Yakp KTM 450 Rally Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Dakar Rally G2.1 42 Adrien Van Beveren Yamaha WR450F Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team G1.1 44 Laia Sanz Gas Gas 450 Rally Gas Gas Factory Team G1.1 45 Zhang Min KTM 450 Rally Replica Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Dakar Rally 46 Simon Marčič Husqvarna 450 Rally Marcic G2.2 47 Kevin Benavides Honda CRF450R Monster Energy Honda Team 2021 G1.1 48 Mathieu Doveze KTM 450 Rally Nomade Racing Assistance G2.2 50 CS Santosh Hero 450 Rally Hero Motosports Team Rally G2.1 51 Rachid Al-Lal Lahadil KTM 450 Rally Replica Melilla Sport Capital G2.2 52 Matthias Walkner KTM 450 Rally Red Bull KTM Factory Racing G1.1 53 Husqvarna FR 450 Rally Podmol Dakar Team G2.2 54 Camille Chapeliere KTM 450 Team Baines Rally G2.1 55 Zhao Hongyi KTM 450 Rally Wu Pu Da Hai Dao Dakar Rally G2.2 56 Giordano Pacheco KTM Calidoso Racing Team 58 Eduardo Iglesias Sánchez KTM 450 Rally Replica FN Speed - Team Monforte Rally G2.2 59 Tiziano Interno Beta RR430 Rally POV Rally POV G2.1 60 Stéphane Darques Yamaha WR450F M.O.R.AL G2.1 61 Norbert Dubois KTM 450 Aventure Moto 61 G2.1 62 Andrew Joseph Houlihan KTM 450 Rally Replica Nomadas Adventure G2.2 63 Konrad Dąbrowski KTM 450 Rally Duust Rally Team G2.2 65 Franco Picco Husqvarna FR 450 Rally Team Franco Picco G2.2 66 Pascal Bouchet KTM Team Baines Rally G2.1 67 Rudolf Lhotský Husqvarna Rally Replica Jantar Team G2.2 68 Jamie McCanney Yamaha WR450F Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team G1.1 69 Walter Roelants Husqvarna FR 450 Rally HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing G2.1 70 Mishal Alghuneim KTM 450 Rally Mishal Alghuneim G2.1 71 Salman Mohamed Humood Farhan Farhan Husqvarna FR 450 Rally HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing G2.1 72 Pascal Rauber KTM 450 Rally Team 2RM G2.2 73 Mohammed Jaffar KTM 450 Rally Replica Duust Rally Team G2.1 74 Jaume Betriu KTM 450 Rally Replica FN Speed - KTM Team G2.1 76 Roman Krejčí KTM 450 Rally Replica Bo!Beton Team G2.2 77 Luciano Benavides Husqvarna FR 450 Rally Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing G1.1 78 Cesare Zacchetti KTM 450 Rally Cesare Zacchetti G2.1 79 Amaury Baratin KTM 450 Rally Horizon Moto 95 G2.1 80 Michael Burgess KTM 450 BAS Dakar KTM Racing Team G2.1 81 Erik Vlčák Husqvarna Rally Replica Slovnaft Rally Team G2.2 82 Ashish Raorane KTM 450 Rally Replica Ashish Raorane G2.2 83 David Chavez KTM Club Aventura Touareg 84 Neil Hawker Husqvarna 450 Rally Neil Hawker G2.2 85 Alexandre Azinhais KTM 450 Rally Replica Club Aventura Touareg G2.1 86 Charlie Herbst KTM 450 Rally Team Charlie Herbst G2.1 87 Oriol Mena KTM FN Speed - Rieju Team G1.1 88 Joan Barreda Bort Honda CRF450R Monster Energy Honda Team 2021 G1.1 89 Gabor Saghmeister KTM 450 Rally Replica Saghmeister Team G2.1 90 Francesco Catanese Yamaha WR450F Tuttogru G2.1 92 Eric Martinez Husqvarna 450 Rally Replica Eric Martinez G2.2 93 Piolini Lorenzo KTM 450 Rally Replica Caravanserraglio Rally Racing Team G2.2 94 Olivier Susset Husqvarna 450 Rally Xtreme Garage G2.1 95 Xavier Flick Husqvarna 450 Rally Xtrem Racing G2.2 96 Daniel Albero Puig KTM 450 Rally Replica Team Un Diabetico En El Dakar G2.2 97 Martin Benko KTM 450 Rally Replica Norwit Racing G2.1 98 Sara Garcia Yamaha WR450F Pont Grup Yamaha G2.1 99 Javier Vega Puerta Yamaha WR450F Pont Grup Yamaha G2.2 100 Audrey Rossat KTM 450 Rossat Audrey G2.1 101 David Knight Husqvarna FR 450 Rally HT Rally Husqvarna Racing G2.1 102 Sara Jugla KTM 450 Rally Replica Team Baines Rally G2.1 104 Fawaz Altoaimi Yamaha Fawaz Racing 105 Fernando Dominguez KTM 450 Rally Replica Club Aventura Touareg G2.1 107 Giovanni Stigliano Yamaha WR450F Team JBRally G2.1 108 Marc Calmet KTM 450 Rally FN Speed - Rieju Team G2.2 110 Jacek Bartoszek KTM 450 Rally Replica Duust Rally Team G2.1 111 Pierre Cherpin Husqvarna 450 Pierre Cherpin G2.2 112 Juan Campdera KTM 450 Rally Replica Juan Campdera G2.2 114 Eladio Carbonell Mendez KTM 450 EXC F Pikaeras Team G2.1 115 Olaf Harmsen KTM 450 Rally Replica Bas Dakar KTM Racing Team G2.1 116 Erick Blandin KTM Team Baines Rally 117 James Alexander Yamaha WR450F The Kalahari Madala G2.2 118 Alexandre Bispo KTM 450 Rally Replica Expresso Racing G2.2 120 Jhon Trejos Husqvarna 450 Jhon Trejos 121 Guillaume Barthelemy KTM EXC 450 F Team RS Concept G2.1 123 Angelo Pedemonte KTM 450 Rally Pedemonte Angelo G2.1 125 Frédéric Barlerin KTM 450 EXC Rallye Fred G2.2 126 Diego Gamaliel Llanos KTM Diego Gamaliel Llanos 127 Willy Jobard Garnati 450 H2 Hybrid Hydrogen Garnati Racing G2.1 133 Cominardi Davide Honda 450 Rally Cominardi G2.1 142 Maurizio Gerini Husqvarna FR 450 Rally Solarys Racing G2.1
Note – The "Dakar Legends" - competitors that participated in 10 or more Dakar events. – The first time starters - "rookies". – Competitors that were not able to start the race. – Competitors participating in "Original by Motul" — limited assistance marathon class.