The 47th edition of the Dakar has set a date for the world's rally-raiders in Saudi Arabia from 3 to 17 January.
More information:
https://www.dakar.com
https://www.facebook.com/Dakar
https://www.twitter.com/Dakar
https://www.instagram.com/DakarRally
#Dakar2025
© Amaury Sport Organisation - https://www.aso.fr
More information:
https://www.dakar.com
https://www.facebook.com/Dakar
https://www.twitter.com/Dakar
https://www.instagram.com/DakarRally
#Dakar2025
© Amaury Sport Organisation - https://www.aso.fr
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SportTranscription
00:00sure I'd love to make history with this victory and after a long life be
00:11remembered as the one who won this rally it's a great honor for me for the
00:16Saudis and something special for the whole world to know that a Saudi driver
00:20won this rally. Yazeed al-Raji's journey on the Dakar goes way back it all
00:26started in South America when the Saudi impressed in his debut year. I remember
00:33in my first Dakar I won one of its stages and was extremely happy with the
00:37rally I was third in the overall standings until two stages before the
00:40end when a technical issue stopped my car. A Dakar career that has made him a
00:49star although it's not all about racing.
00:56You could say I'm well known here in Saudi Arabia perhaps 30 or 40 percent of
01:01my fame comes from the rally while 60 percent is from my projects and family
01:05name. My brother and sister are also famous and I always tell them fame is
01:12dangerous you must treat the fans as one family and avoid thinking you're in a
01:17different world. Fame can be extremely hazardous if you're not balanced and
01:22could lead to ruin. Despite all the frustrations despite the crashes and
01:28mechanical hiccups the Saudi always has a smile on his face.
01:32Enjoyment is very important to me in rallies I only compete for the love of
01:36it sometimes during the stages as my co-driver Tima knows if I'm not enjoying
01:41the rally I'll stop if I feel he made a mistake or lost the way I tell him to
01:46relax and let's just enjoy it. Then I push again. Often I laugh during the
01:52stages especially when I see David Casteira the rally director in the
01:55helicopter watching a struggle on the route. I laugh so much and Timo asks me
01:59why. I tell him David is watching us like we're crazy wondering what we're doing
02:04down here after he put us on this impossible route.
02:10After 10 years of battling to get to the highest step of the Dakar podium it's
02:15time has come.
02:22This Dakar edition has been the toughest as all the drivers say. When they
02:27remember the winner of the hardest edition and say it was Yazeed that will
02:31be something truly special for me and for it to happen on Saudi soil as the
02:35first driver from the host country to win the Dakar rally in a car that's
02:39history. It's incredible to be part of such a historic moment.