Mohammed Jaffar, the highly decorated Kuwaiti motocross champion, is ready to attempt a second run at the historic Dakar Rally. The Dakar will begin on January 1, and continue for two weeks, concluding on January 14, 2022.  The Dakar Rally will take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it has the past several years.

In preparation for his return to the rally, Mohammed Jaffar has made adjustments to his goals, and his game plan. This time, his primary target will be to complete the course, and obtain the coveted Dakar Rally medal that is awarded to those who have successfully braved the circuit, start to finish. “This year, I’m going safe all the way.” Jaffar said, referring to his careful approach this time around at the upcoming rally.

Other considerations that Jaffar is putting into place are his change of focus, from being primarily speed-oriented, to properly surveying and covering the terrain with precision.

“I’m going to focus more on the navigational aspects and worry less about going as fast as I can.” Jaffar said. Speed and skill are vital in standard races, but the unrelenting Dakar Rally has forced Jaffar to improvise this approach, as he doesn’t want to burn out the engine. It is an outcome that happens quite frequently with Dakar racers.

He’s also going in this year very grateful for the experiences he had from his first attempt at rally, last year. He will be riding with Red Bull KTM Factory Team Duust, based out of Poland. They are the home of many famous riders, like previous Dakar Rally winner Toby Price. The KTM 450 Factory Rally Replica bike that Jaffar will ride is renowned for its dependability across terrain, right out of the box performance, and comfort.

Jaffar is making sure that he doesn’t overtrain, either. He is a dedicated rider who is known for his intense pre-race training schedules, but the Dakar Rally requires a racer who is able to take on the rigors of the endurance test ahead, and the race will test every athlete. Leading up to race day he’s relaxed his routine, in the hopes that he will have more to give over the long and grueling rally.

“I’ve got a very strong feeling that I’ll be bringing home the medal this year!” Jaffar said. All his fans home and abroad will very much look forward to that and continue to watch him closely throughout the rally weeks this January.

Mohammed Jaffar is a championship motocross racer. He lives and trains in his home city of Kuwait City, Kuwait.

To find out more about Mohammed Jaffar, the Dakar Rally, and more events and athletes, follow @RedBullKuwait on Instagram and Twitter, and @RedBull on Facebook, or visit redbull.com