The results are in! The Dakar Rally Winners for 2022: Sam Sunderland and Nasser Al-Attiyah have emerged victorious in the bike and car categories, respectively.
After 12 gruelling days racing in the Saudi deserts, this year’s event has come to an end. This year’s course is 70% new, offering many possibilities for different outcomes and challenges. The new route features wide spreads of dunes across all stages, along with a surprising rainfall at the start of the race, which presented an unexpected set of difficulties for both competitors and organisers.
Motorcycle Category
British Born Sam Sunderland delivered the mature, considered performance that fans have come to expect, finishing eighth in the final stage, claiming overall victory at the 44th Dakar Rally, and giving GASGAS Factory Racing their first-ever Dakar victory.
Motor Vehicle Category
Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah claimed victory after a long and challenging 12 stages, marking Al-Attiyah’s 4th win of his Dakar career. Al-Attiyah raced flawlessly from the start and won by a large margin on the second stage. This helped him control the race from early on. So far, Nasser has made the podium on every race he has finished since 2010.
Quads Category
Alexandre Giroud of Yamaha Racing SMX needed only to complete the final stage to win his first title in the Quads category. Coming in fifth place in the twelfth stage, his lead in the general classification secured his victory. Only seven Quad drivers finished the race, with Alexandre Giroud becoming the first Frenchman to win in this category.
Trucks Category
The Kamaz – Master drivers dominated the 2022 Dakar Rally, with Russian Dmitry Sotnikov taking his second title in succession and three other Kamaz drivers following close behind. The team was pushed through its paces in the final 164 km sprint through small gorges, following in close convoy on rugged and winding gravel roads that proved difficult to navigate in the rally caravans, but the team’s efforts paid off as they swept up all podium spots.
SSV Category
American-born Austin Jones overcame a 1-minute, 41-second disadvantage on the last stage to win the SSV overall, all without the first-place position in previous stages. After experiencing gearbox problems in Stage 11, the Can-Am Factory South Racing driver finished third in the final stage. Jones, who took second in SSV in the 2021 Dakar, becomes the third American to take the SSV championship in Dakar history.
Lightweight Prototype Category
Even though Francisco’ Chaleco’ López also did not have any stage wins this year, his consistent performance allowed him to steadily secure his lead in the lightweight prototype category. Red Bull’s best efforts were in vain as South Racing’s captain took the lead after stage two and cruised inconsistency towards victory.
2022 has been indeed a Dakar Rally for the ages, with every participant worth their salt. Non-stop action and an ever-changing track put teams through their paces — full of drama, speed, surprises, and the occasional navigational mishap.
