The dates and route of the Dakar 2021 have been revealed. Saudi Arabia will once again solely host the entire rally.
The Dakar rally was moved from South America to the Middle East last year. The Dakar 2020 was entirely held in Saudi Arabia, which provided the participants with quite challenging and varying terrains along with its vast and diverse landscapes.
For 2021, it was speculated that Dakar will add a second country, with Egypt and Jordan being the top two choices. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers have decided to go ahead with Saudi Arabia once again. The West Asian country will host the Dakar for the second time in a row.
The Dakar 2021 will take place from January 3 to January 15. The route for the 43rd edition of the rally is almost 100% new with only a few kilometres of the roads being repeated from the last year.
The Dakar 2021 will begin and end in the coastal city of Jeddah. There will be 11 stages and a prologue that will determine the starting order for the opening special. The rest day is scheduled for January 9 in Ha’il. The exact route will be revealed in November.
Last year, the motorsport witnessed the demise of two riders – Paulo Goncalves and Edwin Straver. Considering that, for the Dakar 2021, the organisers will take strict measures to improve the safety of competitors and reduce average speeds.
