Elmshorn, 14 January 2022 – Desert sand, heat, and thousands of kilometres travelled – the Dakar Rally once again tested man and machine to the limit in 2022. With their 6th place in the general ranking, the pairing of Jakub Przygonski and Timo Gottschalk, who came fourth in last year’s Dakar Rally, secured another top 10 finish. The Polish-German team was again supported by ORLEN Deutschland GmbH.
After driving 8,375 kilometres, driver Jakub “Kuba” Przygonski and his co-driver Timo Gottschalk finished 6th, the highest position for a rear-wheel-drive buggy. The pair were supported every step of the way by ORLEN Deutschland, whose star and ORLEN brand logos adorned the X-Raid mini buggy in several places. Even though they failed to make it onto the podium, the 44th edition of the Dakar Rally was a resounding success for the Polish-German duo.
“We did our very best and also performed diligently – we couldn’t have done any more. That’s why we’re satisfied overall with the 2022 race, we really enjoyed the fast sections and the many passages through the dunes. We’re so happy to have crossed the finish line now,” says driver Jakub Przygonski. Co-driver and navigator Timo Gottschalk sums up: “We went into the Dakar Rally with great ambitions. After finishing fourth last year, our sole aim was to end up on the podium. We gradually made our way through the field, and at one point we were fourth in the general standing. In the end, we had a bit of bad luck but – to be honest – our immediate rivals had better equipment than us and there was nothing we could do about it. We’re happy to have finished.”
“6th place is a great success and we sincerely congratulate the team. Delivering the highest levels of performance in these tough conditions every single day and also not getting discouraged by setbacks deserves great respect. We are proud to support this Polish-German team,” says Waldemar Bogusch, CEO of ORLEN Deutschland GmbH.
The rally, which is probably the most famous and toughest in the world, was won this year by Nasser Al-Attiyah from Qatar. The Dakar Rally is one of the most significant events in motor sport, alongside the Monte Carlo Rally (World Rally Championship), the 24 Hours of Le Mans (sports cars), the Monaco Grand Prix (Formula 1), and the Indianapolis 500.
Image: Jakub Przygonski and Timo Gottschalk with their buggy in action.
star and ORLEN - the petrol stations of ORLEN Deutschland GmbH
ORLEN Deutschland GmbH was founded in March 2003. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Polish multi-energy corporation PKN ORLEN S.A. and part of the international ORLEN Group. The company currently operates almost 600 star and ORLEN petrol stations on the German market. ORLEN Deutschland GmbH, based in Elmshorn, is one of the ten largest petrol station operators in Germany and has been the main sponsor of German handball record champion THW Kiel since 2016.
According to the slogan "More than just cheap fuel", star and ORLEN petrol stations offer quality fuels as well as their own brand products at an attractive price-performance ratio. Customers also benefit from a cooperation with the German Automobile Club ADAC (instant discount of 1 cent per litre of petrol for members) or from the B2B-fleet-card and receive additional services such as car washing and parcel services at many stations. Filling stations with 'star café' and 'stop. café' invite you to take breaks in a feel-good atmosphere and offer coffee specialities, a large selection of tasty meals and hot and cold snacks all day long.
Media contact:
ORLEN Deutschland GmbH
Birgit Schmidt
Head of Corporate Communications