Dakar 2024:the legendary rally restarts between tradition, innovation and sustainability

Dakar 2024, the challenge aimed (also) at testing new technologies starts again in the dunes:here's what you need to know while waiting for the 46th edition, scheduled in Saudi Arabia from 5 to 19 January.

• The Saudi desert offers an evocative and challenging backdrop for the 2024 Dakar Rally, with imposing dunes and breathtaking landscapes:7,891 kilometers to go.
• In addition to the race, there is a race towards sustainability:participants adopt green technologies, with a focus on electric vehicles and the exploration of alternative fuels.
• Also on the program is Dakar Future's Mission 1000, the challenge aimed at testing advanced technologies on a separate 1,000 kilometer route.

Paris it has long since disappeared from the name and the route.In fact, even the Senegalese capital Dakar is no longer part of the route, given that for the fifth year the competition is taking place entirely in Saudi Arabia.Yet, the Dakar Rally, known for its fascinating story and extreme challenges, continues to capture the imagination of fans engines.While preparing to start the 46th edition, scheduled from 5 to 19 January, in addition to the breathtaking acrobatics and tiring tests for the drivers, the focus this year shifts increasingly towards sustainability, with numerous teams engaged in reduction of harmful emissions.

Past and present of the Dakar Rally

The history of the Dakar rally has its roots in its own African origins, but over the years the route has undergone various geographical changes.After crossing the Sahara and the most remote lands of the African continent, the rally moved to South America and then reach the destination Middle East.Saudi Arabia, with its unique and varied landscape, now offers the perfect setting for this competition with towering dunes and lunar landscapes, providing an ideal playground for the competing motorbikes, cars, quads and other vehicles .The climatic and geographical challenges make the Dakar 2024 even more challenging, testing the skills of the drivers and the resistance of their vehicles.

In an era where the environmental sustainability is at the center of global concerns, the 2024 Dakar is no different.Many participating teams are taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of their vehicles, from finding more efficient transportation solutions to adopting innovative technologies.For example the team Astara, plan to use a formula of synthetic fuel for its competing vehicles, 70 percent coming from renewable energy, reducing emissions CO2 of the same percentage.The team organizing Dakar 2024 has also asked itself ecological objectives:the route in Saudi Arabia was carefully drawn up in complete collaboration with the country's institutions, in order to preserve cultural and environmental heritage.Furthermore, since 2010, the Dakar Rally has financially offset its entire carbon footprint directly, through the “Madre de Dios Amazon REDD” project with the environmental protection association Greenoxx.This project has preserved more than 100 hectares of forest and protected 35 animal and plant species.The program also supports rural producers protecting their lands, financing ecological projects and conducting communication and awareness initiatives.

From Mission 1000 to classic cars

In total, 778 competitors, between drivers and teams, will battle in the 2024 Dakar rally in 8 categories: motorcycles, quads, cars, challengers, SSVs, trucks, M1000s and Classics.The first Dakar Rally in 1977 – originally the Paris-Dakar – involved cars, motorbikes and trucks, with quads and other categories added later.The new category Mission 1000 is reserved for prototype vehicles using innovative technologies, such as the hydrogen-powered KH-7 Epsilon.Mission 1000 is part of the program Dakar Future and has the aim of promoting the use of alternative energies in competition.The challenge is one 100 kilometer section, separate from the official stages, in which manufacturers test cutting-edge technologies on a route similar to the Dakar, ultimately totaling 1,000 kilometers of special road tests.It is not a competition, but points are awarded based on criteria such as completion of the entire route, driving skills in Eco, Normal and Sport modes, controlled starting speed and fan involvement through social media voting. The goal is to accelerate the adoption of sustainable technologies in the world of rallying.

The 2024 edition will start from historic city of Al-Ula, running all the way to the opposite side of Saudi Arabia to end in Yanbu.Among the points of interest for enthusiasts are the Classic trials, added in 2021 and which present vintage vehicles of previous Dakars, some of which are even 50 years old.With the aim of achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, the Dakar continues to be a hotbed of racing technology and mobility innovation.