Twelve of the UAE’s most prominent desert dune buggy drivers descended on Aljada near Sharjah at the weekend for a chance of victory at the first edition of Red Bull Torque.

It was Rashed Mohammad Al Dhaheri who emerged victorious on the day, bagging first place with a fastest lap of 01:38.370.

Second place Seif Mohammad Al Oteibah was narrowly pipped to top spot with a fastest lap of 01:38.820 – a difference of 450 milliseconds between the two finalists.

Meanwhile, Nasser Al Hai and Seif Saeed Al Dhaheri rounded up third and fourth place respectively.

The competition – also the first of its kind to be hosted exclusively for purpose-built buggies in the Middle East – put contestants through their paces as they took on a challenging, 120-metre course. 

And while the drivers no doubt have phenomenal skills, Red Bull Torque’s course requires that they control their vehicle’s power in order not to touch barriers or obstacles, incurring penalties in the process.

In this elimination-style race, the twelve contestants were drawn at random to go head-to-head as pairs.

For every race, two buggies started from opposite sides of the track, with each driver aiming to cross the finish line with the fastest lap.

Bonus points were awarded for skills and creativity, including wheelies performed, car design and that all-important engine sound.