Breaking news
Dakar
Prodrive to contest 2021 Dakar Rally
World Rally Championship-winning outfit Prodrive has entered into a joint venture with the Kingdom of Bahrain to develop a new car to contest the Dakar Rally in 2021.
James Newbold
Edited: Feb 7, 2020, 10:32 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The British engineering firm, which claimed WRC drivers' titles with Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Petter Solberg and a run of three straight manufacturers' titles between 1995 and 1997 when it operated the Subaru world rally team, will form a new company known as Prodrive International for its first assault on the legendary off-road race next year.
Prodrive will build two works cars, which will compete in the top-tier T1 class, and also produce cars for customers.
The project will be financed by Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, which sponsored this year's Dakar.
Since its last WRC programme with Mini ended in 2012, Prodrive has largely focused its motorsport activities on running the Aston Martin Racing's World Endurance Championship team, but has remained links with rallying by developing the VW Golf that has been campaigned successfully by the FAW-VW Rally Team in the Chinese Rally Championship.
It also produced the Renault Megane run by GCK in the World Rallycross championship.
Prodrive founder and chairman David Richards said the Dakar had been a "long-held ambition" for his company, which won the inaugural Middle East Rally Championship with Qatari driver Saeed Al-Hajri in 1984.
"It has been a long-held ambition of mine and Prodrive to compete in the Dakar Rally," Richards said.
"To be able to do so with the Kingdom of Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, and in Saudi Arabia, makes the prospect even more special as the Middle East is where Prodrive started its motorsport journey in 1984.
"Dakar is a new and challenging project for Prodrive, but one that I and the whole team in Banbury are relishing."
Jonny Bourne OBE, Prodrive International's interim CEO, added: "As well as aiming to be competitive and innovative at the Dakar Rally in its fabulous new Middle Eastern setting, this joint venture also presents the opportunity to introduce to the Kingdom of Bahrain further high technology industries, which create employment, enhance local expertise and raise the profile of Bahrain as a centre of technological excellence in the Arabian Gulf."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Rider Straver dies after Dakar 2020 accident
Next article 2WD cars could be out of top Dakar class after FIA ruling
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
James Newbold
Did Audi ‘give up’ on GT3 too soon?
GT
Did Audi ‘give up’ on GT3 too soon?
Alex Zanardi’s top 10 moments
IndyCar
Alex Zanardi’s top 10 moments
Latest news
Max Verstappen slams “unacceptable” bumps at Austin F1 track: “It's out of control”
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
1 h
Max Verstappen slams “unacceptable” bumps at Austin F1 track: “It's out of control”
Kimi Antonelli ready to "finish the job" as first F1 title chance beckons at US GP
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
2 h
Kimi Antonelli ready to "finish the job" as first F1 title chance beckons at US GP
How to watch NASCAR at Talladega II: Weekend schedule, start time, entry list, TV
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
2 h
How to watch NASCAR at Talladega II: Weekend schedule, start time, entry list, TV
Peterson Racing addresses online abuse after parting ways with Austin Green
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Talladega II
2 h
Peterson Racing addresses online abuse after parting ways with Austin Green
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.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe