SEA CAMP: When it comes to endurance races in motor sport, nothing can quite compete with the annual Dakar Rally which starts its 45th edition on the shores of the Red Sea on Saturday.

This year’s event stretches 8,549 km over 15 days of racing, including a four-day excursion into the as yet unexplored desert dunes of the vast Rub’ al-Khali, or Empty Quarter.

“‘Be Afraid’ seems to be the message of the route for the 2023 Dakar,” said organisers when they revealed the course in December.

The warning does not appear to have put anyone off: more than 800 riders, drivers and co-drivers will set off in an array of motorcycles, cars, quads, trucks and light vehicles when the race begins on Saturday.

Among them there are some well-known names, including nine-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb (BRX).

The Frenchman, who has just won the 2022 edition of the Extreme E, has a tough battle in front of him if he is to improve on his three podium finishes and chalk up that first win.

Notably, he will need to unseat defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), a quadruple winner of the event, but he will also be up against another WRC legend Carlos Sainz (Mini) as well as the Dakar great Stephane Peterhansel (Audi).

On the motorcycle side, defending champion Sam Sunderland (GasGas) will face a stiff challenge from the likes of Daniel Sanders (GasGas), Pablo Quinta­nilla (Honda), Matthias Walkner (KTM) and Adrien Van Beveren (Honda).

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2022