But it’s also because the boy is in the bivouac what he is once he has his helmet on and strapped into his car: generous. The smiling Yazeed, whose size and build impress, is what we could call a gentle giant. A member of one of the country’s most powerful families, he became a real estate and restaurant tycoon. To the point of being essential in the Middle Eastern Kingdom. But behind this shark profile hides a man with a heart of gold who frequently organizes banquets during the Dakar rest day in order to benefit several participants.
gullProud to make history for my country.
This generosity can be found behind the wheel. Al Rajhi, who has been seen in the WRC driving a Kronos-prepared Peugeot 207 S2000, likes to go happily, as they say. But mad dogs never go far. Forced to retire during the 6th stage in 2024 when he had won three partial victories, Yazeed revised his copy this year. He only won one stage victory but was always at the forefront before putting everyone in agreement in the dunes of the Empty Quarter, his specialty.
“I’m in heavenexclaims Al Rajhi. I am proud to make history for my country. This Friday, we signed many firsts. This is my first victory on the Dakar, but I am also the first Saudi driver to win the event, and at home. I am also the first private driver to win this race in 25 years. And no one will take that away from us. The Belgian Overdrive team, who are preparing my Toyota Hilux, did a sensational job and my navigator Timo Gottschalk, who had already won with Al-Attiyah in 2011, helped me a lot. Finally, we have this first victory.”
-At the end of a particularly difficult Dakar which ended in a sprint, we can only bow to the performance of Yazeed Al Rajhi.
The Dakar on LN24: Watch this evening at 10 p.m. exclusively the 52-minute summary of the stage and exclusive interviews
