
The very first stage in the notoriously difficult Empty Quarter desert demonstrated that the dunes are the perfect place for Aliyyah Koloc to race. The Buggyra ZM Racing driver navigated the desert without hesitation and drove to a sensational ninth place in today’s stage 10. This is her best-ever result in the top Ultimate car category at the Dakar Rally, making her 27th in the overall standings.
Aliyyah Koloc loves the dunes, as she proved from today’s first kilometers. She was tenth at the opening timed point, then moved up one position. « It was very nice today. We had a long road route this morning, so Seb (note: Sébastien Delaunay, her navigator) handled most of it. I drove the last hundred kilometers, so I rested in the morning. Today’s dunes were smaller and not too technical. Because it’s not on power, which we don’t have, we could gain a lot there, » Aliyyah described the stage.
« We are close to the UAE border, so it feels a bit like home, » Aliyyah remarked. The 20-year-old was born in Dubai and spends a large part of the year in Dubai.
She was faster than the competition leader, Henk Lategan, Czech star Martin Prokop, and third-placed Mattias Ekström, which underscores this remarkable result.
« The timed section was only 120 kilometers long. It was smooth, and we weren’t going full throttle. I really enjoy this type of stage. I achieved my best performance, so I am happy. Everything went well today – it was fun, » Aliyyah said with a smile.
Sébastien Delaunay, her navigator, was also pleased. « We had a bit of trouble with the sun at the beginning. It was quite high, and it didn’t shine that much. We avoided all the pitfalls and problems. It was a nice, clean drive that gives us a good starting position for tomorrow. Aliyyah is great in the dunes, and she drives with a healthy determination, » her experienced French navigator said.