« Saudi Next Gen made me a way better driver »
En resumen
H.B.
- The name Bakhashab is well known on the Saudi rally scene. Mainly because of Abdullah Bakhashab, a local legend who won the Middle-East Rally Championship back in the nineties and competed in several WRC events. So, it’s no surprise to see his son Hamza be on the start line of the next Dakar.
- But following up in the footsteps of his father hasn’t been a walk in the park for the 22-year-old. Despite starting to drive and compete at a very young age, he had to learn the hard way from go-karts, to regular rally cars and eventually to cross-country events.
- He first discovered the Dakar when it first came to his country back in 2020. He was there at the start in Jeddah with his family for the ceremonial start, cheering on heroes such as Carlos Sainz. He was then just 17 and little did he know that we would be at the start five years later .
- But his path to the world’s toughest rally came through the Saudi Next Gen operation set up by the Saudi Automobile and motorcycle federation (SAMF) and ASO (organisers of the Dakar). After five days of intensive training, he won the challenge and was offered a ticket for the 2026 edition.
- In January and after a year of preparation, competed in Baja races all over the middle-east, Hamza will finally live his dream in a Can-AM SSV and alongside Fahar Alamr with whom he won Saudi Next Gen.
Ambición
H.B. : “I always loved motorsport since I was a child. I've been racing go karts since I was a young child. That's where I started to learn how to control a car, how to be fast, how to be precise. At first, to be honest, it was a hobby for me. Also because in Saudi, we didn't have these amazing races like Formula one, like Dakar. But, since 2021, there was this very good racing program, that Toyota made in Saudi Arabia. And I was a part of that. And that put me on the map and racing scene in Saudi Arabia.
My first cross-country race was Rally Ha'il, and it was amazing for me. It was a really big eye opener. It's a different world. It's an adventure. It's not just speed. It's controlling your thoughts. It's controlling yourself.
The Saudi Next Gen program was first presented to me during the rally. When they started speaking about this, I was very excited. You know, I was in the exact perfect age group they wanted. I had the right amount of experience, not a lot of rallies. It was my first season. So, having this program, to build the drivers and to make me a better driver, basically was something amazing. And I wouldn't miss this opportunity.
The most important thing I learned was patience. We used to wake up before the actual race and we would come back very late, so it was tough for us. But I really refined my skills and driving and how to read the road book and navigation. I really wanted to get the chance to race in the Dakar because this is an opportunity I couldn't miss. I won the program after a very hard couple of days. It made me a way better driver.
For this first Dakar, to be honest, I do have a high ambition, but, if I keep that high ambition of doing very good, maybe I risk of over pushing and something wrong could happen. So for me, the goal is to not be slow, but not be overly fast, to drive very calmly. and finish the rally in one piece."
