They started a bit cautiously, but with the 34th fastest time in the prologue of the Dakar Rally 2022, Tim and Tom Coronel are satisfied. The twins conceded 2 minutes and 10 seconds to stage winner Nasser Al-Attiyah on the 19-kilometre route.
« The start has been made », established Tom Coronel at the finish of the mini-stage, which, despite the limited length, still had everything in it. « Tim was still a little cautious; we need to get to know the car. But the feeling is good and we’ve got the swing. I felt that too, because as well as being a navigator, I am of course still a driver myself. »
Tim agreed with his brother. He too is pleased with the Century, which held up well in the varied terrain between Jeddah and Ha’il. « I’m really happy. It was quite a cool stage, with beautiful dunes. Very convenient to get the hang of it. It was really nice in the dunes, the car has a lot of power. We don’t know where the Century’s limits are yet, so we backed off a bit. At some points you automatically discover what it can do and where the limits are. »
To learn to feel that better, the brothers made two jumps with the Century. « The car has a nice cadence, » commented Tom. « We have not come across anything that might have caused problems. I’m very content. »
On Sunday is the first serious stage of the Dakar 2022: stage 1B. A loop of 333 kilometres starts and ends in Ha’il.