Guerlain Chicherit out to lead the pack at the 2023 Dakar Rally 14.09.2022: GCK Motorsport and Guerlain Chicherit will be fielding a Prodrive Hunter at the Dakar for the next two years. The nub of the ambitious programme is a high-potential biofuel vehicle which should help the French outfit clock up the experience they need to a

GCK Motorsport and Guerlain Chicherit will be fielding a Prodrive Hunter at the Dakar for the next two years. The nub of the ambitious programme is a high-potential biofuel vehicle which should help the French outfit clock up the experience they need to achieve their ultimate aim of winning the gruelling race with a hydrogen-powered car.




GCK Motorsport and Guerlain Chicherit have teamed with Prodrive to race the Hunter 4WD T1+ in the 2022 Rallye du Maroc (1-6 October), the next two Dakar rallies and the full season of the 2023 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).


Frenchmen Guerlain Chicherit and co-driver Alex Winocq begin their new adventure in a vehicle identical to the one that earned second place for Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin at this year’s Dakar.


In line with his stance on ecology, Chicherit’s V6 turbocharged 4WD machine will run on Prodrive EcoPower sustainable fuel, made from agricultural waste, which emits 80% less greenhouse gas than regular petrol.



GCK Motorsport and Prodrive engineers will continue working closely together throughout the year, collecting valuable data for the forthcoming GCK H2 programme, which has its sights set on a Dakar win with a hydrogen-powered vehicle.


For this fantastic adventure, Guerlain Chicherit will be kitted out as Mad Max to match his car’s post-apocalyptic livery. Fit for a film set!

Guerlain Chicherit: I was happy to be back at the Dakar earlier this year. Unfortunately, we were made only too aware of the handicap two-wheel drive cars like our GCK Thunder have to deal with. So, this time, we’ve opted for AWD. Competition is stiff.


At least ten cars are capable of winning. But I think we are in with a chance of being out in front, especially as the course is difficult, very sandy, which is what I like, so I hope that we can clinch it.



Whatever happens, the Prodrive programme will be beneficial to GCK Motorsport because it is part of a learning curve. The team needs to build up the confidence to take a hydrogen car to the top in the future



Julien Hergault, photos Chris Warner Design