“We hope to gain valuable experience”

Yungang Zi will become the latest in a string of talented Chinese drivers to discover the Dakar in 2024. Hailing from the northern province of Shanxi, the 43-year-old has always been a fan of motorsport and was encouraged to take up racing by his friends. Rallying is also a family affair for the Zis. Yungang and his older brother Rong have both been competing in offroad events for many years, and eventually got their eldest brother Yunliang into it too; he made his Dakar debut for the BAIC team in 2023, finishing 27th. Rong was actually supposed to drive for the YunXiang China T1+ team at Dakar 2024, but an unfortunate health issue meant he was replaced by his younger brother. Having made his competitive debut in rally-raid at the China Grand Rally in 2015, Yungang has gone from strength to strength, working his way up the classes through buggies, T2, T1, and now finally T1+ at the Dakar. He comes into the world’s toughest rally on form, having claimed a prestigious victory at China’s biggest offroad event, the Taklimakan Rally, in the spring. For his maiden Dakar, Yungang will be able to rely on both an excellent car and an excellent co-driver. YunXiang formed a partnership with Prodrive midway through 2023, so Yungang and his fellow team drivers Ping Sun and Feilong Liu will all be getting behind the wheel of a Prodrive Hunter in Saudi Arabia. Yungang will be joined by highly experienced co-driver Hongyu Pan, who has completed the Dakar four times with four different drivers, going as high as 15th with Yangui Liu in 2021. The 39-year-old is also a multiple winner of the Taklimakan Rally and topped the China class at the Silk Way Rally 2018. Though they have never competed together, the decorated duo clearly have the ability to make a splash at Dakar 2024. Yungang acknowledges that they will face major challenges -especially as they get to grips with a brand-new Hunter- but he’s still dreaming of a “beautiful result” in Yanbu.

Y.Z.: “I've always been fond of cars; I even have a collection of some classic cars. My friends encouraged me to get involved in racing and I gradually climbed the ranks, falling in love with the sport as an amateur and improving to become the professional driver I am today. It was certainly something to participate in a competition for the first time: the China Grand Rally in 2015. I successfully completed the event and got a decent result. I continued to participate in various domestic competitions in China over the following years. Racing has made me realise how important both the vehicle and the team are! The Dakar is the highest level of long-distance rally racing, and the ultimate dream of every long-distance rally driver, so I’m really looking forward to my debut. The Hunter is a very good racing car. I’m very happy to have one and I can’t wait to put it through its paces. YunXiang will be doing the Dakar for the first time in 2024. We hope to gain valuable experience during this rally and lay the foundations for better results in the future! My personal goal is to work with the team to complete my Dakar debut with a beautiful result.”

H.P: “I’ve been involved in motorsport since 2005 and I’ve always been a co-driver. My standout memories of the Dakar are the regrets I have experienced and the joy of reaching the finish line. Yungang Zi and I are part of the same team, but this will be the first time we’ve worked together. All the guys with whom I have done the Dakar are excellent drivers, with their own personalities and strengths. I believe in my ability and I’m confident I can adapt to Yungang’s style quickly. The biggest challenge our team will face is adapting to the higher racing speed of the Dakar in brand-new cars.”