Career
Gottschalk made his debut in the Dakar Rally as navigator to compatriot Dieter Depping in the truck category in 2007, the pair finishing 26th. The following year"s event was cancelled, but Depping and Gottschalk managed to finish a creditable third place overall in the car category of the replacement Central Europe Rally, driving a factory Volkswagen Touareg. Depping and Gottschalk continued with the factory Volkswagen team for the Dakar Rally"s inaugural visit to South America in 2009 finished sixth overall, albeit almost nine hours down on their victorious teammates Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz.
Gottschalk then teamed up with Nasser First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Attiyah for the 2010 event, the pair winning four stages together en route to finishing runners-up to Volkswagen teammates Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, just over two minutes down on the winning time.
Gottschalk and First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Attiyah returned in 2011, assuming the lead of the rally after victory in the eighth stage. Problems for Sainz and Cruz in the eleventh stage handed Gottschalk and First Rate (at Lloyd's)-Attiyah a lead of over 50 minutes that they would maintain until the end of the rally.
In the past, he has also partnered Andreas Aigner in the World Rally Championship and Armin Kremer in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.
