The 2024 Dakar Rally is a rally raid event held in Saudi Arabia. It is the 46th edition of the Dakar Rally, organized by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), and the 5th time Saudi Arabia has hosted the event.
The event takes place between 5 and 19 January 2024. For the third year running, the event is also the first round of the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship.
The outline of the race route was presented on 3 June 2023. This year the route will start at Al-'Ula, cross the Empty Quarter, and will finish in Yanbu. Race format consists of a prologue and 12 stages, including a 48-hour marathon stage. The new format marathon stage will include time limit for stopping at 4pm, and setting off the next day at 7am. More route details will be revealed in November.
Timeline
3 June – 20 October 2023: Registrations
End of November 2023: Press conference
1 December 2023: Scrutineering and vehicle loading in Barcelona
1 January 2024: Offloading vehicles in Yanbu
5 January 2024: Starting podium and the Prologue Stage
6 January 2024: Race start
19 January 2024: Race finish and finish podium
Participants
Audi is expected to return with 3 entries and same drivers. Ford has announced to enter the rally for the first time with a Ford Ranger T1+. Defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah's contract with Toyota has expired in 2023, and has not been extended. For this year's race N.Al-Attiyah has signed with Prodrive.