With the intent of making the famed Dakar rally safer and fairer for all competitors, the FIM has tweaked the rules a bit by introducing time bonuses particularly for riders who open the stages—i.e., those who launch first. An article published by our friends over at MCNews.com.au highlights the details of this significant rule change.
Particularly, extensive scrutinizing of the 2022 Dakar Rally revealed that the first three riders are at a significant disadvantage when compared to those who launch later. As such, the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship and World Cups Committee decided to introduce a time bonus to award the 3 riders opening the track during a Selective Section. Furthermore, the time bonus scheme is applicable to all categories.
