Dakar Rally: Zhang Guoyu leads China’s hopes for best performance ever as veterans return for 2022 race in Saudi Arabia
- Coronavirus restrictions kept some of China’s top Dakar veterans out of the rally for two years
- Zhang Guoyu, who enjoyed a superb debut race a year ago, has teamed up with co-driver Pan Hongyu
The 44th Dakar Rally is under way in Saudi Arabia, and a handful of veteran Chinese drivers are looking to make their mark like never before.
With coronavirus having kept the country’s top endurance racers out of Dakar for the past two years, a smaller contingent have made their way to Jeddah, with ambitions fine tuned and laser focused on setting some records of their own.
Carrying China’s hopes is Zhang Guoyu, who enjoyed a superb Dakar Rally debut in the cars a year ago, sweeping to an impressive 14th place alongside co-driver He Sha. For his 2022 edition, Zhang has partnered with new co-driver Pan Hongyu, who completed his third Dakar last year and both men have their sights on a top-10 ranking.
The pair are representing a much smaller, but equally ambitious BAIC ORV team, who managed to get all three of their cars inside the top 15 at Dakar 2021.
However, the effects of the global pandemic mean BAIC – or the Beijing Automotive Industry Corp – have just one crew represented this time around.
