The Dakar Rally has been held in a number of nations since its inaugural version in 1979, however no driver had managed to elevate the Touareg trophy on residence soil till Yazeed Al-Rajhi this 12 months.
The Saudi driver received an atypical 2025 occasion during which a variety of favourites fell by the wayside early on, with Carlos Sainz Sr and Sebastien Loeb being essentially the most high-profile departures.
Rising winner within the Final class in entrance of his residence crowd is definitely the most important achievement within the sporting profession of Al-Rajhi, who is likely one of the nation’s richest individuals.
His ardour for motorsport developed a very long time in the past, having began competing in native rallies within the Center East in 2007. In 2014 he made the leap to the worldwide stage in rallying, leaving apart extra widespread sports activities together with soccer.
Since his debut in 2015, when he recorded one stage win, Al-Rajhi has racked up 11 appearances within the Dakar.
His earlier finest outcome was third in 2022, curiously one of many years during which he by no means topped a person stage. Final 12 months, he was main the general standings till his automotive went airborne in a spectacular accident within the new 48-hour stage.
#201 Overdrive Racing Toyota: Yazeed Al Rajhi, Timo Gottschalk
Photograph by: A.S.O.
Outdoors of motor racing, Al-Rajhi can also be an incredible businessman, and each week he visits one among his varied firms, be it espresso retailers the place he holds half the shares, the family-run Al-Rajhi Financial institution, the Berain water firm that sponsors Dakar, or the metal enterprise that accounts for 80% of the metal commerce in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Rajhi discovered that cash wasn’t every little thing when it got here to profitable. Regardless of having amassed an enormous fortune, he spends his days going to the workplace within the morning – so long as he is not in his Toyota Hilux entered by the client Overdrive Racing crew.
“We’ve made quite a lot of data at present: the primary Saudi driver to win and likewise within the final twenty-five years no personal crew beat a manufacturing unit crew however we did it this time,” he informed reporters together with Motorsport.com.
“Additionally, it is the primary time there’s a winner on the Dakar from the identical nation during which it’s raced, with a Saudi man profitable a Saudi Dakar.
“I have been ready for this present day for a very long time, and for positive. I feel the subsequent time is not going to be simple for different Saudi drivers who need to win the Dakar Rally. I wanted quite a lot of time to do it, we want quite a lot of time collectively to do it, it isn’t simple.
“And I feel we’ll preserve this report for a very long time. It is like when Saudi Arabia beat Argentina within the World Cup.”
#201 Overdrive Racing Toyota: Yazeed Al Rajhi
Photograph by: A.S.O.
Due to his wealth, Al-Rajhi is considering the way forward for Saudi motorsport, and has a problem for younger hopefuls who need to attempt their luck within the native desert. Some very juicy prizes of as much as 2.5 million euros are provided, only for ending on the rostrum, though the last word objective is for higher generations to come back alongside and succeed him in profitable Dakar.
Nevertheless, to encourage the subsequent era of rally drivers, he needed to win Dakar first. To lastly obtain that concentrate on this 12 months, he realized from his errors and stopped going all-out on a regular basis.
He realised that he wanted to race with the expertise he has gained within the final 10 years and push to 90 per cent, as an alternative of giving his all and struggling an accident like in 2024.
The Saudi driver has gained a really particular follower within the type of Sainz Sr, who messages him steadily to ask how he’s doing. The 2 often have interaction in pleasant chats, with the four-time Dakar winner all the time encouraging him to name ought to he want any recommendation.
“Carlos helped me win,” he mentioned.
“Yesterday I mentioned to him, ‘What do you suppose? Can I name you?’ After which he referred to as me, and he helped me so much. I mentioned I needed to be a winner, like him.”
And the subsequent day, he did comply with within the footsteps of 2024 winner Sainz to clinch Dakar for the primary time.
Images from Dakar Rally Stage 12
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