– Crews recharge for the second Dakar week
– A full day of work for the mechanics
The first week of the Dakar Rally is complete, and the crews can finally take a breather during the rest day in Riyadh. This does not apply to the mechanics, for whom it is the busiest day so far: they dismantle the four X-raid desert racers almost entirely to prepare them for the second week of the Dakar. But there is also plenty of work for drivers and navigators. They meet with engineers and mechanics and do interviews.
For X-raid, the Dakar began with a highlight: Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel won the opening stage in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i. Baumel thus became the first amputee participant to win a Dakar stage. The days that followed, however, were challenging. Maria Gameiro and Rosa Romero had a rather unusual encounter: they were hit by a race truck but managed to return to the bivouac after a repair stop.
The X-raid crews also demonstrated impressive team spirit—something everyone can rely on. This was especially visible on day three when all three MINI crews had to help each other with tyres. Only through their combined efforts were they able to reach the bivouac.
Now the focus is on wrapping up the first week and looking ahead. Even though a place in the top group of the overall classification is no longer within reach, the crews still have the potential to deliver highlights. De Mévius and Baumel can continue to fight for top-three stage results in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i. The father-daughter duo Lionel and Lucie Baud also have the potential for strong stage performances. The same applies to the all-women crew of Gameiro and Romero. For Maria Gameiro, it is only her second Dakar—and her first in the Ultimate category.
Tomorrow, everyone heads to Wadi Ad Dawasir. More than 400 kilometres against the clock await the crews. Including the roughly 400-kilometre liaison, it will once again be a long day. The terrain will be sandy and fast.
Statements
Lionel Baud (MINI JCW Rally 3.0d): « For the second week, we hope to finish between 20th and 25th each day. This would allow us to fight our way back and improve our overall position. I think the second week will be more pleasant because there will be fewer stones and many dunes, lots of sand—and we like that. Therefore, we hope and believe that we will be stronger in the second week. »
Maria Gameiro (MINI JCW Rally 3.0d): « The most important word for the upcoming week will be ‘survive’. We had some issues in the first week because we were slowed down on the track. Because of that, we cannot fight for a better overall position. But we fight every day to push through, to keep going and to improve day by day. And we will reach the finish, we will be finishers—and we will bring the trophy for the best female crew back to X-raid for Portugal. »
Guillaume de Mévius (MINI JCW Rally 3.0i): « We now have the first week behind us. It certainly did not go perfectly for us, but we are happy to still be in the race. Today, we are doing a proper reset. For the second week, our goal is to deliver a few strong stages, bring the car into the top positions, and maybe even win another stage. That would be really nice for us and for the team. It is also important to make it to the finish. Completing the Dakar is not easy and carries a lot of meaning. And we want to enjoy it as much as possible. I am really looking forward to starting the second week and hope that we reach the finish. »
Rebecca Busi (X-raid Fenic): « We will try to achieve better stage positions. We are still getting used to the Fenic. We will not take risks, but we want to continue developing the car and achieving better stage results. You could say that this Dakar is a very big test for us. »
Overall standings
1. N. Al-Attyiah / F. Lurquin – Dacia – 24h 18m 29s
2. H. Lategan / B. Cimmungs – Toyota – 24h 24m 39s
3. N. Roma / A. Haro – Ford – 24h 27m 42s
4. C. Sainz / L. Cruz – Ford – 24h 30m 18s
5. M. Ekström / E. Bergkvist – Ford – 24h 30m 40s…
38. L. Baud / L. Baud – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 28h 03m 15s…
60. M. Gameiro / R. Romero – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 29h 41m 09s…
71. G. de Mévius / M. Baumel – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 30h 32m 06s…
137. R. Busi / S. Lafuente – X-raid Fenic – 49h 11m 00s (P32 Challenger category)