Review: Dakar Rally 2010 DVD

The Dakar Rally’s second trip to South America was once again a resounding success. Yet there are still purists out there who argue that while the brand is the same, the actual product is not. They’ll harp on that unless it finishes in a city that bares its name, that it won’t be a patch on previous years.

All twaddle, of course. The challenge is still as intense and importantly, the racing remains a thrill to watch, no matter how, no matter where. But those damn naysayers will continue to moan. In which case, I suggest they be forced to watch this year’s highlights package from Duke Video. That should do the trick.

Dakar 2010 has managed to cram this year’s event into a 53-minute DVD, featuring all the action from the cars, bikes and trucks. Of course, condensing a fortnight’s worth of action into less than an hour means that some moments have been left on the cutting room floor, but overall, what has been committed to disc is of significance and tells the story of this year’s adventure very well.

The footage is at times exceptional. With sequences captured on-board the vehicles and by helicopter cameras, the latter having caught one of this year’s pivotal moments during stage 11, when Carlos Sainz’s biggest threat, team-mate Nasser Al-Attiyah, took a wrong turn and adopted a more rugged route to hound down the Spaniard. Watching this from a bird’s eye view is nothing short of brilliant.

It’s a shame then that it’s not in high definition as something like the Dakar Rally, which ventures through some spectacular landscapes, would complement the technology rather well. Not a fault of Duke Video’s per se, but fingers-crossed that organisers ASO will capture next year’s event in HD – though I imagine the logistics involved would be nothing short of a nightmare…

The only real issue I have with Dakar 2010 is perhaps with its format. Don’t get me wrong, an hour or so is fine for one sitting. But in that hour, the viewer is never given any background information into the event or its participants. Fine for fans of the Dakar, but for novices, it could put them off as there’s no real glide path into proceedings. It’s literally press play and on to the first stage of the event.

I do believe that the highlights package could have been just a touch longer, interspersed with the occasional interview or feature. If not only to break up the proceedings and introduce some variety, but to also educate the viewer as to the whos, whats and wheres.

There are some extra features available which offer extended coverage of stage 1, 10 and 14, but in truth, these are the same pieces of footage that were seen on Eurosport during the event itself. Nothing particularly wrong with that, it certainly offers some much needed background information (from the time), but given the highlights package is made in hindsight, they do feel a little bit out of place.

But that aside, Dakar 2010 does a thorough job of conveying one of motorsport’s greatest adventures. I expect fans will have bought their copies already, and if they haven’t: what’s stopping you, eh?

Rating: ★★★★★