Toyota

The Prince is crowned King

Since his first Dakar, behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Pajero, that led to a discreet 10th place in Senegal back in 2004, Nasser Al Attiyah has piled on the successes. His four Dakar titles, achieved thanks to 44 special wins, puts him on a par with none other than Ari Vatanen. After having driven for all the top teams (BMW, Volkswagen, Hummer and Mini) he has settled with Toyota Gazoo Racing, giving them their first victory in 2019, with his three South American successes earning him the nick name ‘Prince of the Desert’. In Saudi Arabia his first two Dakars ended in frustration with consecutive second places. And then came the win that raised his standing in the discipline even higher. The Al Attiyah method, based on serious driving skills and a perfect mastery of the dunes, also relies on his complicity with Mathieu Baumel, his co-driver since the 2015 season. The Frenchman is widely recognised as being one of the best navigators in rally-raid. In addition to their Dakar achievements, the duo has won the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies four times, with Nasser scoring one extra title back in 2008 with Tina Thörner in the ‘passenger’ seat. The Al Attiyah - Baumel domination of the opening round of the W2RC means the Toyota Gazoo Racing driver have already taken a major option on acquiring a sixth crown.