Welcome to another exciting glimpse into the world of Dakar off-road racing. For the 2024 edition of the famed off-road races, the Dakar Rally opens a new chapter. Planned for January 2024, the legendary Dakar races promise to ignite the spirit of adventure and challenge competitors like never before. Unlike the past sprints, this won’t be on any regular route.
In a thrilling turn of events, Dakar 2024 introduces an astounding 60% of brand-new stages. Competitors are in for an adrenaline-fueled experience as they’ll have to push the boundaries of endurance, skill, and sheer determination to take the win.
In this short motorsport piece, we will delve into the details of the Dakar 2024 route. We’ll discuss the facts we know about the uncharted terrains, the rests, and racing times. We will also look at the triumphs and tribulations that await the brave souls who dare to take part in this ultimate off-road challenge.
What We Know About The 2024 Dakar Race Route, Dates, And Location
As it did in the last 4 years or so, the 2024 Dakar event will be in Saudi Arabia. The event will be held for about 14 days, starting from 5 to 19 January 2024.
The 2024 Dakar route is around 5,000 kilometers (3,107 miles) long, and it encompasses a prologue and 12 competitive stages. To put that into perspective, the distance from Los Angeles to New York is around 4,490 kilometers. That’s right! There’s so much terrain to cover. We’ve got word that the races will begin in the historic town of Al-Ula before coming across the Empty Quarter to the Red Sea town of Yanbu.
The 2024 Dakar event organizer stated that 60 percent of stages will be new. Most of these stages are in the form of a so-called ’48h Chrono stage’, which covers around 600km across two days with an overnight halt.
Speaking of stops, competitors will be divided into about 8 different bivouacs, located where they are when the clock hits 16:00. Competitors will continue the following morning, setting off at 07:00 to complete the stage in the Empty Quarter.
Organizers said that the event will have two different routes, with cars and trucks split from bikes and quads. That means competitors won’t benefit from the two-wheeled channels.
How Many Vehicles Will Take Part In The 2024 Dakar?
We expect around 10 vehicles to take part in the Dakar Future race event which will be on a different route from the official one. This fleet includes cars, bikes, and trucks.
A plethora of vehicles are eligible for the Dakar event, including those carrying hydrogen engines, hybrids, or fully electric powertrains. For hybrids, though, it will have to be those that have a minimum of biofuel. A jury of experts will monitor the entire content, measuring each vehicle’s energy consumption, carbon footprint, as well as technical reliability. We’re excited to attend the 2024 Dakar event!