Cross-country rally
Al-Attiyah debuted at the Dakar Rally in 2004 with Mitsubishi, finishing 10th overall. He entered the next three editions with an X-Raid BMW, finishing sixth in 2007.
After winning the 2008 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup in a BMW, al-Attiyah took part alongside Swedish female co-driver Tina Thörner in the 2009 Dakar Rally in Argentina.[8] He was among the frontrunners until he got disqualified on 8 January 2009 after he had missed 9 checkpoints, the rules stating that 4 missed checkpoints are the maximum.[9] He finished second in the Rally dos Sertões from Goiânia to Natal in Brazil (24 June-3 July 2009) behind Carlos Sainz of Spain.[10]
In the 2010 Dakar Rally, al-Attiyah finished second, 2'12" behind Carlos Sainz, the smallest gap in the history of the race.[11] On 15 January 2011, al-Attiyah won the legendary Dakar race ahead of fellow Volkswagen drivers Sainz and Giniel de Villiers,[12] making him the only Arab to ever win the difficult race.[13]
Al-Attiyah claimed the 2015 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup with five wins and the 2015 Dakar Rally, driving a Mini All4 Racing X-Raid, and the 2016 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup for Toyota with six wins.
In 2019, al-Attiyah won the Silk Way Rally driving Toyota Hilux for the Toyota Gazoo Racing team. He finished second place in the 2019 Baja 1000.[14] He also won the 2019 Dakar Rally.
In 2022, al-Attiyah won the 2022 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia,[15] making him the only Arab to win the Dakar rally on Arab soil, ahead of 9 time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb (co-driver Fabian Lurquin). He would also win the inaugural FIA World Rally-Raid Championship title.
In 2023, al-Attiyah won 2023 Dakar Rally, winning the rally for the fifth time in his career, again finishing ahead of Sébastien Loeb.[16] With two further victories, the Qatari would defend his W2RC title.[17] During the same season, he and co-driver Mathieu Baumel would also clinch the World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.[18]
Ahead of the 2024 campaign, al-Attiyah would leave Toyota to partner Sébastien Loeb at Prodrive.[19]
