The legendary Dakar Rally 2023 is a 45th racing marathon and the 4th in a row held in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As previous this marathon organized by the Amaury Sport Organization (ASO).
The marathon starts on 31/12/2022 and will goes until 15 of January, becoming a first battle stage of 2023 W2RC (World Rally-Raid Championship).
The actual scheme of proposed racing cours was published in advance on 05/06/2022. The race will take a start near the city of Yanbu-el-Bahr at the "Sea Camp", on the Red Sea coast with and in Dammam, on the Persian Gulf coast.
Schedule and route of Dakar Rally 2023
On 2023 year the race again will course at Rub-al-Khali desert (Empty Quarter). Up to 70% of the run is a new route, with fewer liaisons. 5000 kilometers will be allocated for special stages.
According to ASO info the crews will face with a difficult and long route, comparing last years, with huge dune's quantity.
TIMELINE OF DAKAR 2023
- Registration: from 06/06 to 31/12/2022
- Homologation checking: 28-30/11/2022 on the Circuit Paul Ricard near the French village of Le Castellet
- Arrival in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 27-28/12/2022
- Podium ceremony: 31/12/2022
- Prologue race start: 31/12/2022
- Dakar 2023 start: 01/01/2023
- Finish in Dammam: 15/01/2023
CHANGES AND REGULATIONS OF DAKAR 2023
- Digital road books will be applied for all crews (for motorcycles also).
- Time bonuses for motorcycles that will open the day stage will be applied
- "Mirror routes" as innovation. Several stages will be divided on two separate "route A and B", with randomly located detection points.
- Neutralization zone is cancelled. T2 and T1 categories won't have any breaks in the mid of the marathon.
- The start order has been slightly changed - the T1 and T2 trucks, leaves first, will be from the end of the starting grid. From the 45-th place.
- Reclassification for the top 40 drivers have been cancelled.
- The changes also affected the Dakar Classic. The race will be held along a separate route, consisting of 13 stages, with 2 marathon ones. A new medium speed group will be added for less powerful vehicles.
- Implementation of "biofuels and synthetic" with the expectation that by 2026 top drivers will contest on prototypes with low emission.
