Chinese team target top 10 as Dakar Rally 2022 kicks off

RIYADH - The 44th edition of Dakar Rally 2022, the largest event in the world of motorsport, started on Saturday with several Chinese drivers competing in the arduous race in Saudi Arabia.

The country hosts the event for the third year in a row in its vast deserts while the drivers will experience its geographical diversity and picturesque landscapes.

On Saturday, the drivers started in Jeddah for their 19km trip, before moving to Hail, which will witness the start of the official competitions on Sunday.

Zhang Guoyu, the Chinese driver of BAIC ORV BJ40 team, enjoyed a superb Dakar debut a year ago, storming to an impressive 14th place alongside fellow first timer Sha He in the cars division.

For the 2022 edition, Zhang will be linking up with another co-driver, Pan Hongyu, who successfully completed his third Dakar race last year.

Buoyed by their success at the last edition, Zhang and Pan are now targeting the top 10 finish in Saudi Arabia.

"As a driver, I'd been longing to challenge myself in the Dakar race for over a decade. The rally is harder than you imagine. This year, the team wants to try something new. I have never driven with Pan before, although we've been teammates for many years. But I'm very glad the team has made this decision," Zhang said.

"Pan has three years' of Dakar experience, and hopefully with his help we can improve. Our goal for 2022 is to beat last year's result, I am very confident about driving with him," Zhang added.

There are two more Chinese teams participating in the cars divisions. Han Wei, who made history for China by producing the best result in cars divisions and finished tenth in 2020, will team up with Ma Li to start the new campaign.

Another Chinese pair of Tian Po/Du Xuanyi will make debut in the cars divisions.

Elsewhere, three Chinese riders are competing in the motorbikes division.

Saudi Dakar Rally 2022 will offer the toughest adventures in the sport of desert rallying over 14 days.

The drivers will challenge the desert and rough terrain and test their endurance for a total distance of more than 8,000km.

Of the total, about 4,300km are special stages subject to timing, passing through the most beautiful scenic landscapes and archaeological territories in Saudi Arabia.