The Abu Dhabi Racing boss and driver will be behind the wheel of a Peugeot 2008 DKR as an official Peugeot Sport driver run by PH Sport as he tackles approximately 9,000km across three South American countries, starting in Asuncion, Paraguay, passing through La Paz, Bolivia, and culminating in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
With extensive experience in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) under his belt, the 44-year-old is still new to the cross country platform in off-road racing and was initially unsure whether he’d pursue Dakar.
Sheikh Khalid took part in the 2015 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and was third overall before he was forced to retire with a technical issue on the final day.
He then participated in Baja Aragon in Spain and finished inside the top-10 (in a Toyota Hilux).
In 2016, the three-time MERC champion completed the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge seventh overall, driving a Mini ALL4 Racing, and finished the final day of Rally Morocco sixth-fastest behind the wheel of a Peugeot 2008 DKR.
“After my participation in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Baja Spain in different manufacturer cars, I was not really sure at that time if that’s the path I wanted to take, especially as the cars were totally different than the WRC cars I am used to driving,” Sheikh Khalid told Sport360.
“The Peugeot 2008 DKR emerged a winner on its 2016 debut at the Dakar, with Stéphane Peterhansel behind the wheel. Then I had the chance to test-drive the car in France run by PH Sport. Citroën (our partners) and Peugeot are one group, so that opened the opportunity for me to test-drive the car ahead of Rally Morocco.
“I liked the feel of the 2008 DKR, but I needed to put in the mileage to get more familiar with it, which is why Rally Morocco was a very good opportunity to learn more about cross country rallies and obviously the Peugeot 2008 DKR.”
The good news for Sheikh Khalid, is that several drivers coming from a WRC background have fared well on their Dakar debut.
Frenchman Sebastien Loeb, a nine-time WRC champion, won four stages at this year’s Dakar Rally on his first appearance at the iconic race.
Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah is a two-time Dakar winner (2011, 2015) but is also a 12-time Middle East Rally champion, and the 2014 and 2015 WRC-2 champion.
Still, Sheikh Khalid is keeping his expectations in check ahead of his Dakar inauguration.
“I’m going for a totally new challenge in the Dakar to challenge my limits in the toughest and biggest off-road rally in the world,” said the Emirati.
“My goal is to learn and hopefully be close to the top 10 drivers. Don’t forget that they have plenty of experience in cross country rallies. I will need to avoid all kinds of trouble and try to be close to the top 10.”
Sheikh Khalid’s co-driver for Dakar will be Frenchman Pascal Maimon, who is one of the most experienced individuals in the world of Cross Country rallying.
“We will be testing the Peugeot 2008 DKR in the Liwa Desert here in the UAE in mid-December and will see how we gel as a team. I hope we will work perfectly together,” added Sheikh Khalid.
They certainly will need to rely on perfect teamwork if they plan on overcoming the challenges posed by Dakar. With altitude in parts of Bolivia nearing 4,000m above sea level, meticulous preparation is required to adapt to it.
“I’m currently working out and training to be as fit as possible with the altitude and low oxygen levels that is expected to affect a driver and the car as well. It’s definitely a very big challenge but we will try to overcome it successfully,” says Sheikh Khalid.
On how he feels about competing in Dakar as an official Peugeot Sport driver, he said: “It’s very important because it strengthens our partnership with Citroën and this will reflect positively on Abu Dhabi Racing. It is definitely a very important step forward in my career.”
