Al-Attiyah leaves Toyota to join Prodrive for 2024 Dakar
Cross-country rally star Nasser Al-Attiyah will leave Toyota’s factory stable after seven years to join Prodrive in 2024.
Al-Attiyah will drive the Prodrive-built Hunter T1+ in the 2024 World Rally Raid Championship, beginning with the Dakar Rally in January.
The Qatar driver, who will continue racing with long-time co-driver Mathieu Baumel, will get his first competitive run behind the Prodrive-built prototype in Baja Portalegre 500 on October 26-28, before taking part in the Dubai International Baja next month as further preparation for the 46th running of Dakar.
“It is a very special feeling to come to Prodrive as I have seen over the last three years that the team has worked very hard to get to where they are now with the Hunter,” said Al-Attiyah.
“I’m so happy to join the Prodrive team with Mathieu as I believe it will be one of the strongest in the sport. Over the years I have won with three different manufacturers in Rally Raid, but to win with a fourth car is a big target for us. We’re really looking forward to it.”
Photo by: Prodrive
Nasser Al-Attiyah, Mathieu Baumel Prodrive
Al-Attiyah will form an all-star line-up at the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team alongside nine-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb, but will compete under the Nasser Racing banner.
His addition means Prodrive/Bahrain outfit will continue to have a world-class driver to lead its efforts after Loeb leaves the team at the end of next year to join Dacia’s revived rally programme in 2025.
Speaking after the announcement, Prodrive chairman David Richards said: “To have Nasser and Mathieu, the reigning World Rally Raid Champions, join us for the 2024 season in the Prodrive Hunter is great news.
“We look forward to working closely with them both as we work hard toward Dakar in January. Nasser’s successes speak for themselves and with so many championships to his name, I am certain that the pairing will perform strongly in the Hunter.”
Al-Attiyah is one of the most successful cross-country rally driver in the history of the discipline with five Dakar wins to his name - including three in the last seven years with Toyota.
He has won the prestigious marathon with three different manufacturers, Volkswagen, Mini and Toyota, and has been racing annually at the event since 2004.
The 52-year-old has also made a number of appearances in WRC, most recently in 2015, and also has a secondary career as a professional sports shooter.
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Top Comments
Estre: Hirakawa was 'blocking me everywhere' in Fuji despite blue flags
Rossi takes another aim at Marquez over bitter 2015 MotoGP feud
The experiment WEC could revisit to magnify its boom period
Frustrated Hamilton had to "yank" the steering wheel in Baku comeback race
Piastri's brilliance is both saving and causing problems for McLaren
Seven things we learned at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Ferrari and Toyota concede WEC drivers' title to Porsche
Injury, COVID, camels and redemption: Petrucci's Dakar odyssey
The positive future implications of Audi's creditable Dakar debut
How Prodrive plans to use trial by Dakar to spur it to victory
Why Sebastien Loeb has joined forces with an old enemy for Dakar
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
