Every January, aside from the NBA regular season, the world’s sporting spotlight turns to the Dakar Rally, known as “the world’s toughest race.” After three consecutive years in South America, the 2012 edition will continue to unfold across this fascinating continent, and the most significant change this year is undoubtedly the inclusion of Peru in the race map.
Exploring Peru from South to North
Over the past three years, the Dakar route has largely revolved around Argentina, with start and finish points both set in Buenos Aires, creating a “loop race” pattern. This year, however, the competition will break away from tradition, uncovering more race sections and new cities. Most importantly, the addition of Peru—the northernmost country in South America—will help further spread Dakar culture across the continent.
According to this year’s route map, the race will start in Mar del Plata in southeastern Argentina and end in Lima, the capital of Peru. The overall trajectory of the course heads northward, meaning drivers will face unknown challenges not seen in the past three years. Additionally, the high altitude of the Andes Mountains and the temperature variations brought on by increasing latitude will test the racers’ physical endurance.
For this reason, Mr. Etienne Lavigne, President of the Dakar Rally organizing committee, stated that this year’s race is unpredictable, even admitting that neither Coma nor Despres—who have dominated the motorcycle category for the past decade—are guaranteed victory. In terms of media coverage, three years of groundwork have yielded significant results, with most South American fans now having a comprehensive understanding of the Dakar Rally.
This year’s route will still consist of 14 stages, with relatively balanced distribution among Argentina, Chile, and Peru. The four stages within Peru will be a major highlight. In the past two editions, the most difficult stages were often placed around rest days, but this year, major changes may occur toward the end.
KTM Leads the Motorcycle Category
For nearly a decade, the motorcycle category has been dominated by KTM. This year, the exclusive use of 450cc motorcycles plays even more to KTM’s strengths. Through adaptation in the last two races, KTM has made significant progress in the development of its 450cc models. Of course, to reduce manufacturer investment costs, this year’s rules place greater emphasis on stability. Any engine replacement or repair will incur time penalties: 15 minutes for the first repair, 45 minutes for the second, and 2 hours for the third and subsequent repairs. Many of this year’s stages will test the durability of motorcycle engines, which will face even greater challenges at high altitudes and fluctuating temperatures.
Moreover, in addition to Despres and Coma, strong riders such as Padovani who have emerged over the past two years will also challenge for the title this year. Manufacturers such as Yamaha, Aprilia, and Honda are also fiercely competitive in their 450cc models, making this year’s motorcycle category even more intense. Notably, the quad bike category has reduced its engine displacement this year.
The Car Category Enters a New Era
Three years ago, the organizing committee designated diesel engines as the sole engine type, allowing Volkswagen, with its leading TDI technology, to win three consecutive titles. This year, as Volkswagen shifts its focus to the 2013 WRC project and exits the Dakar, the committee has responded to calls from the FIA by opening up the engine regulations to attract more manufacturers.
Volkswagen’s withdrawal reshuffles the deck in the car category. Although the German X-raid team, backed by BMW power, entered five MINI vehicles and became the favorite to win under the leadership of nine-time champion Peterhansel, the team’s title sponsor is beverage giant Monster rather than the BMW Group. Meanwhile, the only factory team this year is China’s Great Wall Haval SUV team, featuring star drivers Sosa and Zhou Yong, with the red team standing out prominently.
With Volkswagen gone, besides MINI, American Gordon’s Hummer team has always been a contender. This year, he has recruited defending champion Al-Attiyah, ensuring the team is no longer fighting alone. Other teams such as Mitsubishi Brazil will also compete for the title in this leaderless race. Additionally, the truck category sees no rule changes this year, and Russian giant Kamaz retains its dominant position.
Chinese Team Sends Six Racers
Due to sponsorship and TV broadcast limitations, only six Chinese drivers have registered for the 2012 Dakar Rally. Among them, Zhou Yong of the Haval SUV team, Zhou Yuande, Liang Xi of the Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank team, Zhou Jihong of the Yunnan Oriental Racing Team, and Guo Hongzhi of the Wolf Totem Sports Club will compete in the car category, while Wei Guanghui of the Jincheng Motorcycle Team will be the sole representative in the motorcycle category.
In terms of the overall lineup, the Haval SUV team, backed by a manufacturer, is the most likely to secure a ranking for China. The team has broken away from the previous three years of Zhou Yong competing alone by pairing him with Sosa, a driver with over a decade of Dakar experience. The newly developed Haval SUV vehicle demonstrated excellent performance and stability during testing in Morocco. At this year’s Guangzhou Auto Show press conference, Zhou Yong also mentioned significant progress in power.
Aside from Great Wall, the Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank team will carry the city’s banner to South America. Zhou Yuande’s breakthrough of finishing 30th in his first race last year gives him more confidence this year. The team’s overall strength, from maintenance to logistics, has also been upgraded compared to last year. Although newcomer Liang Xi is racing for the first time, he is well-prepared after several domestic long-distance off-road races.
Zhou Jihong of the Yunnan Oriental Racing Team and Guo Hongzhi of the Wolf Totem Sports Club are both competing as individuals. The former successfully completed this year’s Silk Road Rally, and with support from French team Dost, Zhou Jihong’s vehicle performance is a key factor in his goal to finish the race. Guo Hongzhi failed to complete last year’s race due to delayed rescue, but he has found a new partner team this year and is expected to improve.
Compared to the large car category team, the Jincheng Motorcycle Team also features an international duo of Pascal and Wei Guanghui. The latter has several Dakar races under his belt. In a previous interview, Wei Guanghui stated that although he has completed the race before, his initial goal is still to finish, with rankings to follow.
The New Media Era Has Arrived
Due to the expiration of its contract with the Dakar organizer ASO, China Central Television (CCTV) will not renew its agreement, meaning hundreds of millions of viewers can no longer follow the race’s comprehensive developments through daily TV broadcasts. However, this also presents new opportunities for new media, especially online platforms, with social media updates becoming a powerful tool for domestic audiences to access real-time information.
In response to the lack of TV coverage this year, the Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank team has formed a strategic partnership with Tencent Weibo. They will share real-time updates—including photos, videos, and text—through the Weibo accounts of the team, drivers, navigators, and support crews, breaking the previous model where only traditional media controlled the flow of information. Team owner and driver Zhou Yuande stated that the Weibo platform allows for faster and more comprehensive news dissemination worldwide. Media can also gather firsthand updates through Weibo to plan reports and select materials. In addition to the Chengdu Rural Commercial Bank team, the Great Wall Motor Sports Club has also launched an official Weibo account on Tencent and introduced several engaging interactive activities.
Participants in this year’s Dakar, including the Yunnan Oriental Racing Club and Wei Guanghui, along with media outlets such as Sports Weekly sending reporters to cover the event, have all established Weibo accounts to share the latest updates in real time. Although CCTV will not cover the 2012 Dakar, Weibo will lead the way in news reporting for the Chinese team during this year’s race.