Prodrive and Bahrain join forces to develop new 2021 Dakar car
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
The British engineering firm, which claimed 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 team in WRC, will form a new company known as Prodrive International for its first assault on the legendary rally raid event next year.
Prodrive International 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 Aston Martin Racing's World Endurance Championship team, but has retained 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 (below) 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."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Prema determined 'not to be just a number' on IndyCar switch
Friday favourite: The “perfect” F1 test venue with a little bit of “magic”
How motorsport is embracing the opportunities of AI
Acosta: 2024 MotoGP title "not the priority" as expectations mount
Horner: Red Bull’s 2026 F1 engine project “hitting targets”
Mercedes becomes first F1 team to exceed £500m turnover
Dale Coyne Racing retains Harvey for Long Beach IndyCar race
The positive future implications of Audi's creditable Dakar debut
How Prodrive plans to use trial by Dakar to spur it to victory
Why Loeb has joined forces with an old enemy for Dakar
Richards on Prodrive's new Dakar challenge
Subscribe and access Autosport.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.
Top Comments