MOTORSPORT – TOP Bahraini rally driver Hasan Al Sadadi is set to fly the kingdom’s flag in next year’s edition of the Dakar Rally, one of the most prominent and challenging annual rally raid events in the world.
The highly anticipated off-road race is set to take place in Saudi Arabia for the sixth straight year from this Friday up until January 17, with competitors battling it out in different categories for all kinds of vehicles.
Al Sadadi will be racing in the side-by-side vehicle (SSV) T4 class in his #444 BRP Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR. He will be competing with his team R-X Sport and will be in the driver’s seat alongside his navigator Marcin Pasek of Poland.
Al Sadadi expressed his heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all those who have supported him in achieving his dream of taking part in the Dakar Rally.
“I offer my sincerest gratitude to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for his continuous support for Bahraini sports and athletes,” Al Sadadi said.
“I also extend my thanks to Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), BIC chief executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, Beyon Group, and Bell Helmets.”
Al Sadadi said that their valuable backing represents a great incentive for him to exert his best effort and raise the name of the kingdom high on the international stage. He stressed his commitment to achieving an honourable performance that reflects the spirit of challenge and ambition.
“This is a moment of great pride and honour for me, and I promise everyone that I will do my best to represent Bahrain.”
Al Sadadi’s participation comes as part of the kingdom’s strategy to enhance its standing in global sport and affirm its commitment to supporting Bahraini sportsmen and women. This step also contributes to enhancing Bahrain’s presence in major international events and supporting national talents to compete at the highest levels.
Al Sadadi, who turns 61 on New Year’s Day, is a veteran in rallying and is one of the kingdom’s top names in the sport.
Next year’s Dakar Rally will stretch for almost 8,000 kilometres – including more than 5,000 in specials – starting from the south-western town of Bisha, passing through the Empty Quarter, and ending at the south-eastern settlement of Shubaytah.
It will be held across 12 stages, and the route will put drivers, riders, and their crews through their paces from the first moment to the last.
More than 800 competitors will battle it out at the Dakar Rally 2025 in seven categories: cars, bikes, challengers, SSVs, trucks, M1000s, and classics.
The Dakar Rally began as the Paris-Dakar Rally, which was first formally run in 1979 and featured competitors racing from Paris, France, through Spain to Morocco and deep into the Sahara desert, before finishing in Dakar, Senegal.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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