N°201 Car OVERDRIVE RACING

YAZEED AL RAJHI

(sau)

Hobbies

Travelling, reading

Sponsors

Abdul Lateef Jameel, Toyota

2023: 86th (1 stage win)
2022: 3rd
2021: 16th (2 stage wins)
2020: 4th (Toyota Overdrive)
2019: 7th (Mini X-Raid)
2018: Ab. Stage 8 (Mini X-Raid)
2017: 27th (Mini X-Raid)
2016: 11th (Toyota) (
2015: Ab. Stage 11 (Toyota) (1 stage win)

2023: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (1st), Sonora Rally (2nd), Desafio Ruta 40 (3rd), Morocco Rally (1st), Baja World Cup
2022: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (6th), Morocco Rally (4th), Andalucia Rally (3rd); W2RC (3rd) ; Baja Jordan, Baja Italia (1st) Baja Espana (2nd) , Baja Portalegre, Baja Ha’il, Baja Dubai
2021: Andalucia Rally (3rd), Kazakhstan Rally (17th), Morocco Rally (2nd), Baja Dubai (1st), Baja Sherkiyah (Ab.), Baja Spain (3rd), Baja Hungary (2nd), Baja Poland (2nd), Baja Italy (1st)
2020: Andalucia Rally (3rd)
2019: Qatar Rally (2nd), Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (7th), Silk Way Rally (Ab.), Morocco Rally (5th), Rally Qassim (1st), Al Alu Neom Rally (1st)
2018: Silk Way Rally (1st), Kazakhstan Rally (1st)
2017: Silk Way Rally (10th), Kazakhstan Rally (11th), WRC Wales and Sardegna
2016: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (2nd), Qatar Rally (2nd), Sardinia Rally (6th), Silk Way Rally (2nd), Morocco Rally (Ab.)
2015: Morocco Rally (3rd), Egypt Rally (2nd), Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (4th)
MERC and WRC2 events
2014: Baja Russia (1st), Baja Italia (1st), Egypt Rally (1st)
WRC2, ERC and MERC Championships

Interview

“Winning is the only option!”

“The Dakar cannot be won in a day”, reiterates constantly Yazeed Al Rajhi. Accumulating experience and improving consistency is the key to success in the Dakar. Unfortunately, the Saudi driver's last outing on the Dakar didn't go according to plan. In the top three until day six, everything fell apart en route to his hometown of Riyadh when mechanical problems compromised his chances of home success. Third, in 2022, behind the " ferocious " Al Attiyah-Loeb duo, the Saudi seemed to have turned a corner. After making his debut on the rally in 2015, he immediately caused a sensation, claiming his first stage win on day 8, already behind the wheel of a Toyota Hilux, before retiring from the rally whilst in third place. Then came an unsuccessful stint with X-Raid in a Mini before returning to Overdrive en route to his precious podium. The 42-year-old will again be among the favourites after a complete season which saw him finish second in the W2RC with victories in Abu Dhabi and Morocco. To his right in the cockpit of the Hilux, Al Rajhi has changed co-driver partner once again: he is back with the man who guided him on his debut, Timo Gottschalk, winner of the rally in 2011 with Nasser Al Attiyah and third in 2023 with Brazilian Lucas Moraes.


Y.A.R.: “When I was a child, I was always interested in all the different motorsports. The Dakar has always been something special for me with its sense of adventure. I dreamed of being part of it one day. The Dakar is a demanding rally with an incredible history. Competing in this rally means you fight against the best, the elements and yourself.”
“I'm ready for the 2024 Dakar. There can be many surprises: new stages and challenges, as will be the case with the 48-hour Timed stage in the Empty Quarter. We're looking forward to it and ready to fight. I was pretty satisfied with my last Dakar. We weren't lucky, but I was happy all the same. We had a decent pace, but we were technically unlucky. Winning is the only option, not only for me but also for many drivers. I'm gaining more and more experience. You build success on every kilometre you cover. You can't win in a day. A lot of time is needed. Of course, I love the Dakar. If I didn't, I wouldn't set off for 14 days in the desert, far from home.”


T.G.: “I had to pinch myself at the finish last year to realise I was on the Dakar podium. It was my third podium after those in 2010 and 2011 with Nasser Al Attiyah, but it was something I was expecting at the time. This third place with Lucas Moraes was way beyond our expectations, and it was such a pleasure. I couldn't be prouder of what we had done over the two weeks. I was truly delighted to have had this opportunity with Lucas. I'm happy to be back with Yazeed in the Overdrive Toyota team. It's been a while since we've been together, but we've competed in over 30 rally-raids between 2014 and 2019 and have over 15 podiums on our collective CV. We want more...”

Vehicle

OVERDRIVE RACING

TOYOTA HILUX OVERDRIVE
OVERDRIVE RACING

  • TOYOTA
  • HILUX OVERDRIVE
  • Toyota Overdrive
  • Toyota Overdrive
  • T1+: Prototype Cross-Country Cars 4x4

Ranking 2024

All news of Y. Al rajhi

Summary - 19/01 17:53 [GMT +3]

Dakar 2024: Brabec and Sainz, masters of the dunes

The 46th edition of the Dakar, the 5th to be organised in Saudi Arabia, has finished after more than 4,700 kilometres of specials and a total distance of almost 8,000 kilometres, which tested the riders, drivers, co-pilots and crews, from the ancient city of AlUla to the shores of the Red Sea, passing through the oceans of dunes in the Empty Quarter. The major winners of the 2024...

Summary - 15/01 19:04 [GMT +3]

Out of the fight for glory, but still fighting today!

FOCUS

 Today, the rally headed to Ha’il, the cradle of all-terrain sport in Saudi Arabia, where the first generations of the country’s riders and drivers learned their trade, setting out on the seventh stage from Al Duwadimi. The day’s special was interrupted by a long transfer and the two-part menu for the stage put the riders, drivers and crews...

Summary - 13/01 19:03 [GMT +3]

After the Empty Quarter

After six stages and a total of eight days of racing, including the prologue in AlUla, the 46th edition of the Dakar has been a roller-coaster of breakthrough performances, vindications, debacles, plot twists, comebacks and surprises on the tracks and dunes of Saudi Arabia. The culmination of the first week, the brand-new 48H Chrono concept, scattered drivers and co-drivers...

Summary - 12/01 17:10 [GMT +3]

Loeb, Van Beveren, Giroud, De Soultrait: Vive la France!

FOCUS

Not everyone is equally equipped to deal with the Empty Quarter. The programme for the second part of the 48 HR chrono stage was again sandy, but the portions of dunes could vary greatly in their dimensions. Consequently, four bikers spent the night at rest point A in the company of fifty cars and trucks, meaning they still had to tackle 425 km (FIM) and 354 km...

News - 11/01 18:02 [GMT +3]

Dakar 2024 - Stage 6a | Pole position for Carlos Sainz and Van Beveren!

FOCUS

Dunes galore were on the programme in the Empty Quarter, through which the competitors are passing during two days as part of a new stage format: 48 hours chrono. Over a special totalling 547 kilometres for the FIA crews and 625 km for the FIM riders, each competitor had to stop at 4 pm at one of the seven bivouacs dotted along the route. In the Empty Quarter, the conditions...

Summary - 10/01 19:20 [GMT +3]

"Quintafondo" and "Nasser Al Attack"

FOCUS

As the name suggests, the Empty Quarter is not exactly teeming with conventional architectural or cultural tourist attractions. Yet, for rally-raid enthusiasts, it is a staggering treasure trove with dunes that stretch as far as the eye can see. Millions? Billions, perhaps? Who knows, it is hard to count while in the throes of sand fever. The riders and crews were...

Reactions - 10/01 17:12 [GMT +3] - Car

Yazeed Al Rajhi: "We didn't want to open the road tomorrow"

Yazeed Al Rajhi, fourth in the special at a shade over 2 minutes from Nasser Al Attiyah, retained his lead by 9 minutes over the Qatari.

"We didn't want to open the road tomorrow. This was our plan. During the special, Timo and I were unsure whether to slow down or not, but I reckon we did the right thing by not easing up too much. Tomorrow...

Summary - 09/01 18:24 [GMT +3]

Cornejo like a boss, Loeb back to winning ways

Focus

The thermometer only read five degrees in the early morning on leaving the tents at the bivouac in Al Salamiya to head towards the city of Al Hofuf, next to one of the country’s biggest oases, home to three million date palms. In between the two, the total distance to be covered measured almost 700 km, but the riders, drivers and crews “only” did...

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