Change of plan

“If the plan doesn't work, change the plan, but never the objective”. This message posted on Khalid Al Qassimi's Instagram account sums up this man. The Emirati is a man in a hurry. In a hurry and dedicated to the cause of motorsport in his emirate. He is not only a talented driver. He also runs his Abu Dhabi Racing structure with an iron fist and helps the development of young champions from his native country. And it's not all about rally-raid. The Abu Dhabi man criss-crosses the deserts throughout the season but also spends time at the circuits where his firm enters cars in endurance and Formula 4. Raised in the desert, he began driving quads and buggies when he was a young lad with his brother on the family farm. Traditional rallying is his first love. After winning the Middle East Championship in 2004, he moved on to the WRC with Ford and Citroën. Then came rally-raid and the Dakar, which now holds a special place in his heart. However, his debut in 2017 ended in disappointment when he had to retire on stage 11. His second attempt was much more conclusive: a solid sixth-place finish in a Peugeot 3008 DKR. While his first Dakar in Saudi Arabia ended in flames, his second saw him again finish in the Top 10 (7th). This man in a hurry only remembers his 42nd place from last year, which was a failure and required a change of plan. Al Qassimi will start his sixth Dakar at the commands of a Buggy Mini prepared by X-Raid. In addition to the vehicle (winner of the 2021 Dakar), the 50-year-old driver will have a new teammate. Veteran co-driver Dirk Von Zitzewitz has been replaced by Ola Floene. The Norwegian co-driver has immense WRC experience, notably alongside Andreas Mikkelsen, with whom he won the Catalonia Rally. On the Dakar, Floene was a mentor to Mitch Guthrie in T3. A new challenge awaits him with the ultra-demanding Al Qassimi.