january 15, 2024 - RedBull Racing
Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team set up to come out swinging for the second half of 2024 Dakar Rally
The first week of the 2024 Dakar Rally has been jam-packed with dunes, dust and plenty of new experiences for the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team. Seth Quintero has stepped up to the Ultimate car class where he is trading blows with Dakar legends. In the Challenger class the Juniors hold the lead plus three more spots in the overall Top 5 heading into the second week of the rally.
First week at Dakar: The Juniors make their mark on the dunes
The Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team joined the Dakar convoy sleeping out in the desert during the first week's pair of Marathon Stages. The second of these was the all-new 48-hour Chrono Stage which plunged all competitors into a route of more than 500 kilometres through nothing but dunes, some measuring 250 metres tall.
All eyes were on 21-year-old Seth Quintero as the Dakar departed from AlUla. The 2023 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship winner in the T3 class has been given the keys to a Toyota GR DKR Hilux for this edition of the world's toughest rally.
Quintero alongside co-driver Dennis Zenz took second place on the Prologue Stage on the first day of the rally. That was followed up by an encouraging third place on Stage Two. Unfortunately their Toyota Gazoo Racing machine then fell victim to the perilous terrain of the Dakar and they had to be towed out of the dunes. Despite the setback Quintero is still in the race and determined to show his speed in the second week of the rally.
"It's been going very good and it's also been on the other end of that spectrum as well. We've had so much fun and we've learned so much in these six days. We've had a couple of podiums and the whole thing has been a wild ride. Unfortunately on day four we were kind of taken out of the rally, but we kept our heads held high and got back into it." – Seth Quintero
In the Challenger it's the Taurus T3 Max Mitch Guthrie Jr. that is out in front. Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team driver Guthrie Jr. and co-driver Kellon Walch have used the first week to get themselves to the summit of the general classification and are out to protect their precious lead in the second half of the rally.
"In this race the goal is to make it to the finish of every stage... and of course try to go fast. Over the first six days we've had our little bumps in the road. I'm excited for the second week, we're going to push hard." – Mitch Guthrie Jr.
Occupying second spot overall in the Challenger race, also in a Taurus T3 Max, are Cristina Gutiérrez and co-driver Pablo Moreno. Gutiérrez has been quick to get to grips with her new vehicle in the first week of the rally and is determined to hold a spot on the podium until the end.
"We're quite happy with our performance in the first half of this Dakar. It's a new team for us and a new car. We're also quite OK with the rhythm of the race and we've been competitive on every stage so far." – Cristina Gutiérrez
Current Challenger class champion Austin 'AJ' Jones sits fourth overall at the Rest Day in Riyadh. After two Dakar wins in the past two years you can't rule out Jones and co-driver Gustavo Gugelmin plotting a path to victory in their Can-Am Maverick during the second week.
"Last year we had so much rain and it was really cold so that made it tough. This year it's just the stages themselves that are really hard. Every single day has been over 400 kilometres! We're still in a decent spot and we're going to make a plan for this next week coming up." – Austin 'AJ' Jones
It was heartbreak on the final stage 12 months ago for Rokas Baciuška when he narrowly missed out on the overall T4 class win. This year it was a tough Stage One that Baciuška and co-driver Oriol Vidal had to deal with after stepping up to Challenger class. The Can-Am Maverick crew have since battled back from 13th place in the Challenger rankings to start the second week of the rally in fifth place overall.
"It was a tough first half of the Dakar for us because on the first day we had a little problem with the car. I hope the second half will be faster, especially for us." – Rokas Baciuška
The 2024 Dakar Rally gets back underway tomorrow after the entire convoy has enjoyed a well-deserved Rest Day in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. All race vehicles have been given a comprehensive service and the competitors have had the chance to recharge their batteries.
Stage Seven features a maze of canyons during the 483-kilometre timed special stage between Riyadh and Al Duwadimi. Then comes five more perilous stages before the chequered flag finally flies in Yanbu on Friday, January 19.
f2737d91-b803-4381-977d-0750c86cd028
3840x2560, 4MB
ae7c3a80-50a9-496b-8860-2864e702fd99
3840x2560, 2MB
4f94170e-a999-431f-b747-131d5c3feba4
3840x2560, 1MB
b16a272b-5f95-4c94-b37a-1be31b3f536c
3840x2560, 1MB
dacc5eeb-b3ed-419c-94ff-50f4e1f13b20
3840x2560, 2MB
e3177841-d48d-4300-a708-0116cab69219
3840x2560, 1MB
677e6098-1305-48d0-99a0-211a997f35f0
3840x2560, 2MB
37d8673e-8168-4c9a-bb4f-75a570de04ed
3840x2560, 1MB
be9a4cdb-e274-4eee-ba8b-fdbc562e2d02
3840x2560, 2MB
Related news |
||
|
|
|
february 23, 2024
|
february 09, 2024
|
january 22, 2024
|
|
As the dust settles on last month's 2024 Dakar Rally it's already time for rally-raid engines to rev back into life. A world class... |
Audi celebrated its first victory at the Dakar Rally on January 19, 2024 and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz their fourth with the fourth ... |
There was drama right up until the finish line of the 2024 Dakar Rally and the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team were at the heart of ... |
Download all 
You might be interested in |
||
|
|
|
january 19, 2024
|
january 18, 2024
|
january 16, 2024
|
|
Audi makes history: for the first time, a low-emission prototype with an electric drive, high-voltage battery and energy converter... |
The top of the leaderboard of the Ultimate class may not look that different after Stage 10, but that doesn't tell the full story.... |
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price has secured a top-four result on the rough and demanding ninth stage at the 2024 Dakar Ra... |
Italian 
Download all 
Share
Share via mail 
Automotive
Sport
Events
Art&Culture
Design
Fashion&Beauty
Food&Hospitality
Technology
Nautica
Racing
Excellence
Corporate
OffBeat
Green
Gift
Pop
Heritage
Entertainment
Health & Wellness