After the Dakar, Honda also lost out to GASGAS in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. At least in the manufacturers’ classification of the new Rally Raid World Championship, the Japanese are ahead.
The Honda Racing Corporation works team was strengthened in May 2021 with Pablo Quintanilla, the Chilean taking care of the Dakar 2022 second for best Honda result. At the second event of the World Rally Raid Championship in Abu Dhabi, Quintanilla finished third, with Ricky Brabec (USA) taking second place as the best Honda driver.
Winner of both rallies: GASGAS-Star Sam Sunderland.
“We finished the rally and I’m very happy to be on the podium,” assured Quintanilla. “The last stage was difficult for me. Towards the middle of the special stage, I caught up with the drivers in front of me, so I had to open the track to the end. I lost a few minutes to the finish, but that was to be expected.”
Brabec untied his teammates on the fifth and last stage as the best Honda driver. The American hoped that it would also be enough for the overall victory.
“We knew it would be difficult to gain enough time in the overall standings,” admitted the 2020 Dakar winner. “I did what I could to get on the podium. Unfortunately, Sam was the one who had the advantage on Stage 1 and Stage 5. We knew it was going to be hard to beat Sam – he knows the place perfectly.”
Because the two best pilots are included in the manufacturers’ ranking, Honda is ahead of GASGAS, at least in this ranking. Due to the fall of Daniel Sanders at the Dakar, Sunderland is a lone wolf for the brand belonging to the Pierer Mobility Group.
| Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2022 – Results Stage 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | driver (nation) | Team | Time / Diff | penalty |
| 1 | S. Sunderland (GBR) | GASGAS Factory Racing | 02:20:57 | 00:00:00 |
| 2 | R. Brabec (USA) | Monster Energy Honda Team | + 0:00:34 | 00:00:00 |
| 3 | M. Walkner (AUT) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | + 0:01:11 | 00:00:00 |
| 4 | K. Benavides (ARG) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | + 0:03:15 | 00:00:00 |
| 5 | P. Quintanilla (CHL) | Monster Energy Honda Team | + 0:03:33 | 00:00:00 |
| 6 | S. Howes (USA) | Husqvarna Factory Racing | + 0:04:25 | 00:00:00 |
| 7 | I. Cornejo (CHL) | Monster Energy Honda Team | + 0:04:38 | 00:00:00 |
| 8 | J. Rodrigues (PRT) | Hero Motosports Team Rally | + 0:05:01 | 00:00:00 |
| 9 | M. Klein (USA) | Bas World KTM Racing Team | + 0:05:44 | 00:00:00 |
| 10 | T. Price (AUS) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | + 0:06:35 | 00:00:00 |
| 11 | F. Caimi (ARG) | Hero Motosports Team Rally | + 0:07:05 | 00:00:00 |
| 12 | L. Santolino (ESP) | Team Sherco Rallye | + 0:08:41 | 00:00:00 |
| 13 | K. Dabrowski (POL) | Duust Rally Team | + 0:09:08 | 00:00:00 |
| 14 | L. Benavides (ARG) | Husqvarna Factory Racing | + 0:09:36 | 00:00:00 |
| 15 | M. Michek (CZE) | Orion – Moto Racing Group | + 0:10:06 | 00:00:00 |
| 16 | R. Branch (BWA) | Hero Motosports Team Rally | + 0:11:27 | 00:00:00 |
| 17 | P. Lucci (ITA) | Solarys Racing | + 0:13:10 | 00:00:00 |
| 18 | R. Dumontier (FRA) | Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing | + 0:13:41 | 00:00:00 |
| 19 | M. Rees-Stavros (GBR) | + 0:21:53 | 00:00:00 | |
| 20 | C. Moore (ZAF) | Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing | + 0:24:26 | 00:00:00 |
| Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2022 – Overall result after Stage 5 of 5 | ||||
| Pos | driver (nation) | Team | Time / Diff | penalty |
| 1 | S. Sunderland (GBR) | GASGAS Factory Racing | 16:54:24 | 00:00:00 |
| 2 | R. Brabec (USA) | Monster Energy Honda Team | + 0:03:08 | 00:00:00 |
| 3 | P. Quintanilla (CHL) | Monster Energy Honda Team | + 0:03:56 | 00:02:00 |
| 4 | T. Price (AUS) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | + 0:08:17 | 00:01:00 |
| 5 | M. Walkner (AUT) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | + 0:08:31 | 00:00:00 |
| 6 | J. Rodrigues (PRT) | Hero Motosports Team Rally | + 0:10:10 | 00:00:00 |
| 7 | I. Cornejo (CHL) | Monster Energy Honda Team | + 0:14:57 | 00:00:00 |
| 8 | F. Caimi (ARG) | Hero Motosports Team Rally | + 0:16:55 | 00:00:00 |
| 9 | L. Benavides (ARG) | Husqvarna Factory Racing | + 0:20:53 | 00:00:00 |
| 10 | S. Howes (USA) | Husqvarna Factory Racing | + 0:21:08 | 00:00:00 |
| 11 | M. Klein (USA) | Bas World KTM Racing Team | + 0:43:56 | 00:01:00 |
| 12 | L. Santolino (ESP) | Team Sherco Rallye | + 0:54:49 | 00:02:00 |
| 13 | K. Benavides (ARG) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | + 1:08:10 | 00:30:00 |
| 14 | R. Dumontier (FRA) | Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing | + 1:20:15 | 00:00:00 |
| 15 | P. Lucci (ITA) | Solarys Racing | + 1:47:08 | 00:00:00 |
| 16 | K. Dabrowski (POL) | Duust Rally Team | + 1:50:12 | 00:00:00 |
| 17 | C. Moore (ZAF) | Ht Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing | + 2:28:06 | 00:01:00 |
| 18 | M. Rees-Stavros (GBR) | + 2:59:14 | 00:18:00 | |
| 19 | R. Branch (BWA) | Hero Motosports Team Rally | + 22:19:21 | 17:15:00 |
| 20 | M. Michek (CZE) | Orion – Moto Racing Group | + 54:37:46 | 44:45:00 |