As I said - typical BMW driver!The leading team of Nasser Al-Attiyah/Tina Thörner (Q/S) in a BMW X3 incurred some technical problems on the way from San Rafael to Mendoza in Argentina and took a short cut, missing several of the waypoints and consequently being excluded
Volkswagen leads with three cars at halfway point
Wolfsburg (9 January 2009). Volkswagen leads the Dakar Rally with three Race Touareg cars, ahead of Saturday’s rest day and after seven of the 14 legs. Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F) took over at the top on the seventh leg of the rally from Mendoza in Argentina to the Chilean city of Valparaíso. The former front-runners and Volkswagen team colleagues, Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D), trail them by just nine seconds. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA), driving a third Race Touareg with a 280 hp TDI diesel engine, are now third overall.
Carlos Sainz achieved his third leg victory on today’s difficult leg, which included the first Andes crossing of this first "Dakar” to be held in South America, thus placing him back at the top of the leader board. The day’s special stage was shortened from 419 to 243 kilometres due to inclement weather and rainfall overnight resulted in some treacherous driving conditions. Mark Miller is celebrating a double victory, having posted the second fastest time of the day and thus having given his best performance so far in this year’s legendary "Dakar”, which has been a tough one right from the start.
Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz ceded their lead today, after losing time due to a puncture and visibility problems on today’s muddy route, and were the sixth team to cross the finishing line. Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk, who lost a lot of time in the fourth Race Touareg yesterday, made good ground today to take twelfth place, moving them up in the overall rankings to ninth.
Volkswagen’s appraisal after seven legs: Volkswagen can lay claim to five leg victories and five days of leading the rally, and now dominates the event ahead of Mitsubishi, who have remained unbeaten in the "Dakar” since 2001. The second half of this desert classic will get under way on Sunday, after Saturday’s rest day which will primarily serve as an opportunity to thoroughly service the rally vehicles. Seven legs now remain, covering a total distance of 4,622 kilometres.
Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)
"We have every reason to be happy with the first week of the rally. The Race Touareg is fast and reliable. Volkswagen is first, second and third overall, and we still have all four cars in the running. That’s a good provisional appraisal. But that’s all it is, because we know there are some really tough legs up ahead. Most of all, we need to remain completely focused. We can’t afford to let up – but so far, we are still on course.”
#301 – Carlos Sainz (E), 1st place leg / 1st place overall
"The Race Touareg performed perfectly in very difficult conditions and we are now back in the lead again. Today’s route was very fast, but the ground was very muddy because of the rain last night. The tracks were also full of potholes. Today was pretty tricky, so the outcome is all the more satisfying.”
#305 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 6th place leg / 2nd place overall
"We fell back because of some minor things today, unfortunately, and we’re now nine seconds short of the lead. First of all, we had to change a tyre. And then, at some point, there was no more water in the windscreen wiper tank. The wiper had to clear the mud from the windscreen without any water and eventually packed up, leaving us to navigate our way to the finishing line with very poor visibility.”
#307 – Dieter Depping (D), 12th place leg / 9th place overall
"The technicians and mechanics did an excellent job overnight, providing Timo (Gottschalk) and me with a perfect Race Touareg again, in spite of yesterday’s technical woes. So thanks to everyone for that. The whole team is working together fantastically. It was very hard having to start so far back today and having to overtake on such narrow tracks. But we managed to pass dozens of cars nonetheless.”
#308 – Mark Miller (USA), 2nd place leg / 3rd place overall
"This Dakar Rally is unbelievably demanding and is certainly living up to its reputation. The combination of rain and the fine fesh-fesh sand made it like driving on ice and this rally is really stretching us drivers. The Race Touareg ran like a dream in these conditions yet again. And the interim results for Volkswagen are just fantastic.”
Three questions for Fabrice van Ertvelde, Giniel de Villiers’ race engineer
As Giniel de Villiers’ race engineer, you are responsible for the technical servicing of his Race Touareg. What has been the most positive thing you have learned in the first week of this "Dakar”?
"It’s great to see the daily results and to see that we have put together a great vehicle, a car that can take us to the top of the Dakar Rally. It was also great to see how Giniel and Dirk returned their cars to us in mint condition after the first six legs. They are really taking care of their vehicle and are therefore also taking care of their mechanics.”
Giniel de Villiers has got off to a good start in the "Dakar”. Does this instil the service crew and the engineers with greater confidence? Or perhaps motivate them?
"It’s not so much a confidence boost, but it definitely does motivate us. When the vehicle you’re responsible for wins legs and leads in the rally overall, it gives everyone who works on it quite a motivational boost. Everyone knows that concentration is a hugely important asset. But all the crew members can focus more easily when their hard work bears fruit from a competitive point of view.”
The Dakar Rally is showing its meaner side. As a technician, can you tell what the vehicles have been through at the end of a leg simply by looking at them?
"It’s pretty normal for the cars to come in with a few scratches in the paintwork and some vegetation stuck in the radiator. But other than that, there wasn’t a single unusual or serious technical problem with Giniel’s car on the first six legs. This is partly down to his prudent driving style, but also has something to do with the extremely high failure rates when you look at the other teams around the Volkswagen service camp. We are getting the right leg results, so the Race Touareg is obviously a fast and reliable vehicle. And the good condition it’s in after the legs proves that it’s also a very tough cookie.”
Standings after stage 07, Mendoza (RA) – Valparaíso (RCH); 243/816 km stage 7/total
Pos.; Team; Vehicle; Leg 7; Overall time
1. Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 2h35m27s (1st); 23h42m40s
2. Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 2h43m15s (6th) + 9s
3. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 2h39m08s (2nd) + 13m53s
4. Nani Roma/Lucas Cruz Senra (E/E); Mitsubishi Racing Lancer; 2h41m04s (4th) + 29m16s
5. Robby Gordon/Andy Grider (USA/USA); Hummer; 2h39m40s (3rd) + 1h08m21s
6. Krzysztof Holowczyc/Jean-Marc Fortin (PL/B); Nissan Navara; 2h49m23s (8th) + 2h39m32s
7. Ivar Tollefsen/Quin Evans (N/GB); Nissan Navara; 2h56m30s (11th) + 2h59m21s
8. Orlando Terranova/Alain Guehennec (RA/F); BMW X3; 3h57m24s (27th) + 4h04m53s
9. Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 3h00m28s (12th) + 4h47m43s
10. René Kuipers/Filipe Palmeiro (NL/P); BMW X3; 3h23m18s (22nd) + 4h59m51s
Coming up …
Saturday, 10 January: Rest day, Valparaíso (RCH). The rally vehicles won’t be going anywhere on the eighth day of the "Dakar”. But the sole rest day during the toughest rally in the world will only mean a welcome break for the drivers and co-pilots at best, as the mechanics will be giving the race vehicles a thorough going-over in the Chilean port of Valparaíso. Meanwhile, the racers can lap up the attention of the media spotlight.
Kris Nissen: “We need to overcome the ‘Dakar’ itself first”
Wolfsburg (10 January 2009). Volkswagen will start the second week of the Dakar Rally in Argentina and Chile in the top three positions on the leader board. After nearly 24 hours of effective driving time, there are just nine seconds between the current leaders Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F) and their Volkswagen team colleagues Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D). The third team driving a Race Touareg with a 280 hp TDI diesel engine, Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA), is then just over 13 minutes behind. After the only rest day on this legendary cross-country rally, the fourth Volkswagen pair Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D) will start the first of the next seven legs in ninth place. The ‘Dakar’ finishes where it started, in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires next Saturday (17 January). Volkswagen can look back on a successful first half of the "Dakar”, with five out of a possible seven leg victories under its belt and having had a Race Touareg in the overall lead on five days.
On its South American premiere in Argentina and Chile, the Dakar Rally is cementing its reputation as the toughest rally in the world of motorsport. On their way from Buenos Aires via Santa Rosa, Puerto Madryn, Jacobacci, Neuquén, San Rafael and Mendoza (all in Argentina) to the Chilean coastal resort of Valparaíso, the 500 participants have had to negotiate everything from fast stretches of gravel tracks to scrubland, rocky and trial-like terrain, high-speed sections on sand and huge dune landscapes. Throughout, the navigating co-pilots faced plenty of switches between surfaced, marked roads and off-road stretches – something which required a great deal of skill on the part of the drivers and co-pilots again and again each day. The "Dakar” has also experienced an unprecedented following so far, with many enthusiastic fans lining the route each day.
The only rest day on this year’s rally will give the 80-strong Volkswagen team an opportunity to catch their breath, but there will be little time for resting. The engineers and mechanics will spend the day thoroughly inspecting the four Race Touareg vehicles, that sport a striking blue Red Bull design, while the drivers and co-pilots will be busy talking to all the journalists and guests. And soon after midday, the co-drivers will be able to start to plan the eighth leg, when they are given the next roadbook.
The Volkswagen team will face some tough challenges in the second week of the Dakar Rally. The first few stages head north along Chile’s Pacific coast, from Valparaíso to La Serena and Copiápo. The core of the 30th "Dakar” will then be a circuit around Copiapó and through the extremely dry Atacama Desert followed by the cross-country journey to La Rioja via Fiambalá. After crossing the Andes back into Argentina, the participants themselves will have to service their vehicles in Fiambalá, without any assistance. From La Rioja, the route will take the drivers back to the city of Cordoba and then on to Buenos Aires, where, after approximately 9,500 kilometres and 14 tough stages, the rally finishing line awaits.
Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)
"At the halfway point of the ‘Dakar’, we can look back on a successful first week of rallying. The whole team has done an excellent job and the Race Touareg has demonstrated that it is a fast and reliable vehicle. There were three or four very demanding days in the first week, but the next seven stages will be even tougher. We are on course for success, but we nevertheless need to remain focused and not make any mistakes if we want to achieve our objective of winning the ‘Dakar’. And to do that, we need to overcome the rally itself first, as it is and will continue to be our toughest adversary. We can already safely say that this is the hardest Dakar Rally ever.”
#301 – Carlos Sainz (E), 1st place overall
"Even before we have tackled the more demanding half of the Dakar Rally coming up next week, it’s safe to say that this ‘Dakar’ is really very tough. At the end of the first extremely challenging week, there is next to nothing between me and my team colleague Giniel de Villiers. But the most important thing is that Volkswagen is in a great position ahead of the remaining seven legs. We now have to make sure that we remain cautious and focused, because, as I have said before, the next legs are bound to be tougher than the legs so far. I predicted there would be a lot of enthusiasm for the ‘Dakar’ in South America before we got here, but to see the huge numbers of excited fans here is absolutely fantastic.”
#301 – Michel Périn (F), co-pilot
"With just nine seconds separating first and second place, it’s almost as if the Dakar Rally won’t be starting until after the rest day. But we have actually been through a very tough week already, which certainly entailed some ups and downs for me and Carlos. And that’s exactly what makes the ‘Dakar’ so special. The organisers are talking about a trilogy of even tougher stages soon after the rest day – but if you ask me, it’s more like four consecutive days that are going to ratchet up the challenge of this rally.”
#305 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 2nd place overall
"The first week of the ‘Dakar’ goes to show that it’s not over until you have actually crossed the finishing line. This goes for the first few stages of the rally, and especially for legs four, five, six and seven. The last day before the rest day in particular presented us with a few typical ‘Dakar’ surprises. You can have six successful days in a row, only for everything to go to pot on day seven. We’ve come a long way, but nothing has definitively been won yet – and next week is going to be extremely hard.”
#305 – Dirk von Zitzewitz (D), co-pilot
"The organisers A.S.O. have done a great job and have put together a rally here in South America that is quite rightly called the ‘Dakar’. It really is a tough one, as shown by the high number of withdrawals so far. Not to mention the high level of sporting skill involved in this year’s rally – even the smallest of mistakes can mean it’s all over. With this in mind, we need to remain focused and continue to be careful. But I am optimistic, as I think our strengths lie in the second week of the rally anyway.”
#307 – Dieter Depping (D), 8th place overall
"It’s been a week of highs, but also of a few setbacks for us. Unfortunately, a few small technical hitches caused some big problems and held me up for a few hours. But if you look at the rate of withdrawals in the first few days, it’s clear to see that Volkswagen has come up with a reliable car with the Race Touareg, as all four vehicles that started are still in the running. And taking the seven tough legs so far into account, that’s more than positive.”
#307 – Timo Gottschalk (D), co-pilot
"I’ve been really impressed by how enthusiastic the spectators appear to be about this sporting discipline. There are hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets and cheering when we reach each day’s destination. We don’t even need the roadbook for the last few kilometres up to the bivouac, because the fans show us the way. This level of excitement is catching and it encourages us to do even better on the special stages. Dieter and I have had to deal with a few setbacks, unfortunately. But perhaps we’ll be a lot luckier in the second week of the ‘Dakar’.”
#308 – Mark Miller (USA), 3rd place overall
"I had a simple strategy for the first week of the ‘Dakar’ – every day, I slowly and cautiously worked my way up to the limit and to the right speed. And that’s exactly what I intend to do on the last seven legs too: remain calm, controlled and focused. I’m more than happy with what we have achieved so far. Even though we have already passed a real test of our endurance in the first week, the worst is yet to come. But the first week has shown that our car is tough enough.”
#308 – Ralph Pitchford (ZA), co-pilot
"We’ve come through an extremely challenging rally week. The ‘Dakar’ kicked off with three relatively tame legs, but things started to get tougher and tougher from day four onwards. Thankfully, we now have a rest day before we tackle the even more demanding second week. But arriving at the bivouac each day more than makes up for all the hard work, as we are warmly welcomed by thousands of thrilled spectators every day. There’s no doubt about it – bringing the ‘Dakar’ to South America was an excellent idea.”
Standings after stage 07, Mendoza (RA) – Valparaíso (RCH); 243/816 km stage 7/total
Pos.; Team; Vehicle; Leg 7; Overall time
1. Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 2h35m27s (1st); 23h42m40s
2. Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 2h43m15s (6th) + 9s
3. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 2h39m08s (2nd) + 13m53s
4. Nani Roma/Lucas Cruz Senra (E/E); Mitsubishi Racing Lancer; 2h41m04s (4th) + 29m16s
5. Robby Gordon/Andy Grider (USA/USA); Hummer; 2h39m40s (3rd) + 1h08m21s
6. Krzysztof Holowczyc/Jean-Marc Fortin (PL/B); Nissan Navara; 2h49m23s (8th) + 2h39m32s
7. Ivar Tollefsen/Quin Evans (N/GB); Nissan Navara; 2h56m30s (11th) + 2h59m21s
8. Orlando Terranova/Alain Guehennec (RA/F); BMW X3; 3h57m24s (27th) + 4h04m53s
9. Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 3h00m28s (12th) + 4h47m43s
10. René Kuipers/Filipe Palmeiro (NL/P); BMW X3; 3h23m18s (22nd) + 4h59m51s
Coming up …
Sunday, 11 January: Valparaíso (RCH)–La Serena (RCH). The race organisers A.S.O. conceived the first day of racing following the rest day as a gentle "restart”. But there is still a danger of ruining the vehicles on this leg’s intermediate mountain roads, by adopting an overly aggressive driving style. So the favourites for the overall rally win stand to lose a lot more than they might win on this stretch of 652 kilometres which includes 294 kilometres against the clock.
Alfie Cox: “It’s all a question of confidence”
While he never added his name to the overall victory list of the Dakar rally, Alfie Cox is part of the riders that have made the race’s history. The South African who has never forgotten his amateur status, had surprised the world as well as himself when he clinched fourth spot overall for his first appearance, in 1998. But that year was to only be the beginning of a fantastic series. Indeed Alfie went on to capture 3rd spot in 1999, 5th in 2001, 2nd in 2002, 4th in 2004 and 3rd in 2005. An impressive record only tainted by a 45th position in 2000 and a withdrawal in 2003… How does he explain such consistency? “To manage a good Dakar is a combination of elements”, simply says the driver and organiser of adventure raids in South Africa. “You have to learn to remain focused, at your best physically, without ever giving up mentally. At first, I never would have thought that I would manage these results! It’s thanks to Stéphane Peterhansel that I won my first special in 1998. Three days from the finish he told me: ‘today’s stage is for you, it’s your type of terrain’. So I believed in that and I won. On the race, it’s all a question of confidence”. Today, Alfie no longer runs after the first positions. The forty-year-old lived his 2002 podium, surrounded by his “heroes” Fabrizio Meoni and Richard Sainct, as the most beautiful of victories. Looking for new sensations, he has decided to take off in a buggy on the paths of South America, after a first experience on four wheels in 2006 (15th overall). “It’s mainly to be back in the Dakar family: the cooks, the journalists, all those who live the race on a daily basis. On this rally, I feel at home’’. A familiar universe that he wants to share with his friend and co-driver Jürgen Schroder, a newcomer on the Dakar. This year, more than the standings, it’ll be a question of pleasure even if Alfie insists that “the Dakar isn’t a holiday”…
Dakar support truck crash kills two
Two people were killed when a Dakar Rally support truck from Argentina slammed head-on into another vehicle, police said.
accident occurred near Pejerreyes, some 400km north of Santiago near the route of Monday’s planned ninth stage between La Serena and Copiapo.
The support truck, carrying tyres for rally contestants, was operated by an Argentinian company. It was travelling with a Dakar Rally organisation logistical support car.
According to the initial police reports, Argentinian truck driver Marcelo Sanchez crossed the centre line for an unknown reason and hit the smaller oncoming vehicle. The two occupants of the vehicle, who were Peruvian, were killed.
Sanchez was jailed pending an investigation, police said.
The famed race is being held in South America because of terrorist fears in Africa, and has already been marred by the death of French motorcyclist Pascal Terry.
Yesterday’s stage brought the race from Argentina into Chile for the first time.
Stage 8 - Sunday 11 January 2009
Connection 245 km Special 294 km Connection 113 km
Valparaiso > La Serena
After a day of rest on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, an easier restart has been programmed. On mid-range mountain roads, driving hotshots should be able to really strut their stuff. The experts in car positioning, trajectory and sudden braking will show how it’s done. But for the rally leaders, there is certainly more to be lost than won during this stage.
Volkswagen starts perfectly to second half of Dakar Rally
Wolfsburg (11 January 2009). Volkswagen started the second week of the Dakar Rally exactly the way the first half on Friday before the rest day had ended: by securing a triple stage victory and maintaining its previous one-two-three lead. The day’s best result was clinched yet again by Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F), who scored a fourth stage victory in the Race Touareg, thus further extending his overall lead.
On the eighth leg from Valparaíso to La Serena in Chile the German Volkswagen duo Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk reached the destination in second position with a 4.02-minute gap to Sainz/Périn; they were followed in third place ten seconds later by Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) in the third of the blue Race Touareg vehicles.
In fifth place, Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) finished the day’s special stage across partially narrow gravel stretches but lost 10.48 minutes to Sainz on the 652-kilometre leg. In the overall classification Villiers is now trailing his Spanish team-mate by 10.57 minutes, while Miller continues ranking in third place with an 18.05-minute gap.
Volkswagen’s best immediate rival, Mitsubishi driver Nani Roma, in fourth place overall dropped by a further 4.15 minutes to a 33.31-minute gap to Sainz.
Despres on the climb, Sainz at ease
This 8th very quick stage of the Dakar resembled a last warm-up before tackling the big dunes Chile has to offer. Cyril Despres was the quickest on the way to La Serena and continues to climb up the general standings. The Frenchman has climbed onto a place on the provisional podium, but is still one and a half hours behind leader Marc Coma. Sainz reacquainted himself with rallying sensations on a route tailor-made for him, on which he distanced Nani Roma, who finished fourth, by another several minutes.
In the quad race, Machacek picked up his 3rd stage victory, strengthening his lead in the general standings.
Following a well deserved rest day on the shores of the Pacific, the bikers resumed battle in a fairly gentle manner before the three stages in the Atacama Desert, the genuine high-point of the Dakar in 2009. Today’s program included 294 kilometers on quick and winding tracks.
Chilean Francisco Lopez, who kicked off proceedings for this first special stage in his native land, knew that it would be difficult to grab another victory. The KTM Vectra rider was first caught up with by Marc Coma then by Cyril Despres, who took advantage to post the best time at CP 1 (after 180 km). The three riders then rode on together toward the finishing line in La Serena, again on the coast, opening up a considerable gap on their nearest pursuers. It was naturally Despres who picked up his second special stage victory on this Dakar after his success on the stage to Mendoza. The Frenchman beat Marc Coma by 1.49, a paltry advance in terms of the big picture but he still clawed back time nonetheless, and Lopez by 2.56
This 18th stage victory for Despres on the Dakar takes him up to third place in the general standings, taking advantage of a substandard performance from Jonah Street, who finished 34 minutes behind the winner, and a display slightly less below par from Pal Anders Ullevalseter. The title holder is still 1 hour 33 minutes behind Coma, however. Apart from the several minutes lost to Despres, the Catalan had another excellent day, improving his lead over his nearest rival, David Frétigné, who finished 4th today and struggled somewhat on his 450cc, leaving him 1hour and 6 minutes behind the Spaniard.
In the quad category, the title holder Josef Machacek continued his march toward triumph. The Czech won his 3rd special stage on this 31st edition of the Dakar. The Yamaha rider beat his main rival for victory, Argentinean rider Patronelli, by 2.51 increasing his comfortable lead in the general standings to 2 hours and 30 minutes.
The leader of the general standings in the car race probably really enjoyed himself on the route of the day’s special stage. Quick and sometimes winding, the stage was a perfect reminder for the Spaniard of his exploits in the 1990s on the WRC circuit. As a result Carlos Sainz almost naturally won the 8th timed stage of the 2009 edition, turning this day of transition into one of confirmation. The Volkswagens drove at their favored pace and dominated all the more so since this type of special suited their aggressiveness. Depping finished second, 4.02 behind and Mark Miller third, 4.12 behind. In addition to this 1-2-3, the German constructor also managed to put a fourth vehicle in fifth place, even if Giniel De Villiers lost 10 minutes in the internal battle with his Spanish team-mate. This almost perfect finish was only disrupted by the tenacity of Nani Roma in his Mitsubishi Lancer, now the only representative of the Japanese constructor, who slotted into fourth position playing his role to the utmost as thorn in the side of Volkswagen, preventing complete domination.
As a result, the top part of the general standings underwent hardly any alteration. Sainz has picked up several extra minutes, distancing Roma, still in fourth, a slight bit more, improving a 29.16 lead to 33.31. This difference still does not mean that all bets are off, even if, unless a major surprise occurs, it is Roma alone against the VW. The race is still livened up by the tenacious Robby Gordon and his Hummer. 8th today, the North American is fifth in the general standings, but 1 hour and 32 minutes behind the leader.
Volkswagen starts perfectly to second half of Dakar Rally
Wolfsburg (11 January 2009). Volkswagen started the second week of the Dakar Rally exactly the way the first half on Friday before the rest day had ended: by securing a triple stage win and maintaining its previous one-two-three lead. The day’s best result was clinched yet again by Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F), who scored a fourth stage victory in the Race Touareg, thus further extending their overall lead.
On the eighth leg from Valparaíso to La Serena in Chile, which put the concentration and fitness of the drivers and co-drivers to the test on gravel tracks, like those featured in sprint rallies, and on long serpentine sections, the German Volkswagen duo Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk reached the destination in second position with a 4.02-minute gap to Sainz/Périn. Another ten seconds later, Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) in the third of the Race Touareg vehicles sporting Red Bull blue followed in third place.
In fifth place, Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) finished the eighth special stage but lost 10.48 minutes on the 652-kilometre leg in the dust of their rivals and due to a slow puncture. In the overall classification de Villiers is now trailing his Spanish team-mate Sainz by 10.57 minutes. Miller, with an 18.05-minute gap, continues ranking in third position. Depping advanced to eighth overall, but is almost five hours behind.
Volkswagen’s best immediate rival, Mitsubishi driver Nani Roma, in fourth place overall dropped by a further 4.15 minutes to a 33.31-minute gap to Sainz.
Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)
"For Volkswagen, today’s leg marked a positive beginning of the second ‘Dakar’ week. After the so-called rest day all four Race Touareg vehicles were running perfectly as usual. Inspecting and working on numerous components on rest day always harbours the risk of something slipping. But the entire squad did a superb job – this is also reflected by our result of having four cars among the top five. Now, the really tough days are coming up. Tonight, we’ll get together to work out a good strategy for Monday. In view of today’s outcome and the resulting early starting positions, our starting base couldn’t be any better.”
#301 – Carlos Sainz (E), 1st place leg / 1st place overall
"These types of rally tracks suit me very well and I really enjoyed the day – even though I did work up a sweat with all that gravel, the many slippery stretches and countless bends. Today called for a lot of work with the steering wheel. A perfectly prepared car that gave me a lot of confidence made the whole thing quite a bit easier.”
#305 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 5th place leg / 2nd place overall
"Today had positive as well as less positive aspects. Of course at this stage of the rally each arrival at the finish is important and the good news is that we had no technical problems whatsoever, the car is running the way it should be in every respect. Unfortunately, I lost a bit of time to Carlos today because soon after the special stage started I caught Guerlain Chicherit in the BMW and Robby Gordon in the Hummer. For some 100 kilometres, I wasn’t able to pass them – the track was too narrow and, unfortunately, the activation of the Sentinel produced no response by the preceding contenders. In addition, we had a slow puncture, just before the end of the special. But there’s no doubt in my mind that our stages are still coming up.”
#307 – Dieter Depping (D), 2nd place leg / 8th place overall
"It’s been a long time since I turned the steering wheel as much as I did today. The track today tended to be more typical of a sprint rally – with lots of gravel and plenty of bends. That really suits me well but after 200 kilometres I had to muster all my concentration to keep from making mistakes. On the physical side, today was extremely trying, so I was very happy about having air conditioning on board.”
#308 – Mark Miller (USA), 3rd place leg / 3rd place overall
"That was a real tap dancing act today. Feet, arms – we constantly had to move on these gravel stretches. In addition, the sections were extremely narrow and the terrain kept changing. So, today the adaptability of the driver was essential. But Ralph was put to the test in navigation as well with a few tricky places. Today our hard work in the gym prior to the rally definitely paid off.”
From the Volkswagen bivouac
- Brief visit to the Volkswagen bivouac: Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet: The Volkswagen team received a high-ranking visitor on the Dakar Rally’s rest day: Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet paid a visit to the service camp of the motorsport cross-country marathon and took a look at the Volkswagen bivouac as well. The President, who has been in office since March 2006 and spent some time studying in Germany, received first-hand information from Carlos Sainz and Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. The government of Chile actively supports the Dakar Rally in the area of organisation and personnel while the National Sports Institute has assumed responsibility for coordinating all services.
- Dakar Rally supports a social cause – cheque presented to a charity: On the rest day rally director Etienne Lavigne in the presence of Volkswagen factory driver Carlos Sainz, former Grand Prix racer Eliseo Salazar and other "Dakar” participants presented a cheque in the amount of over 112,000 dollars to Maria Jesus Jaqueih, the regional director of the charity "Un techo para mi pais” ("A roof for my country”). The humanitarian aid organisation that builds housing for the socially deprived will use the rally organiser’s donation to erect 40 pinewood houses in Chile and 40 in Argentina, each having 18 square metres of floor space.
- A star in high demand – Carlos Sainz shows patience: He is leading the rally and, as a two-time world champion, has been a star for a long time. In addition, as a Spanish-speaking driver, South America is a "second home” to him, particularly after having won the World Rally Championship three times in Argentina. Carlos Sainz was the subject of media interest galore, particularly on a day that was actually intended to be a rest day. But the Volkswagen driver patiently answered all questions posed by media representatives about the exciting events during South America’s first Dakar Rally for no less than seven hours.
- Logistics on target – four cars, seven days, 170 tyres: At the Dakar Rally the Volkswagen team is on target in terms of logistics as well. On the first eight legs the four duos in the Race Touareg vehicles, Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn, Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz, Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford and Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk, have used 170 wheels – in other words tyres pre-mounted on rims. On the over 9,500-kilometre distance through Argentina and Chile the team carries a supply of 380 wheels.
- Volkswagen drivers within 13 minutes and 26.2 kilometres halfway through the rally: The three front-running duos in the Race Touareg vehicles had completed almost 24 hours of driving time by the time the rally reached its midpoint on rest day – separated from each other by merely 13 minutes in terms of overall time. The balance achieved between the first-placed Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn, runners-up Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz and the third-placed Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford in selecting the routes was reflected by the data of the engineers. For Sainz/Périn, the sensors logged 2,555.58 kilometres of special stages, for de Villiers/von Zitzewitz 2,577.13, and for Miller Pitchford 2,581.78. For comparison: The organiser states a total length of 2,466 kilometres for the first week of the rally – the tolerance in the data obtained by the Volkswagen engineers also includes so-called slip, which occurs when the wheels spin on soft ground, as well as an extra kilometre here and there caused by minor navigation errors.
Standings after leg 08, Valparaíso (RCH) – La Serena (RCH); 294/652 km stage 8/total
Pos.; Team; Vehicle; Leg 8; Overall time
1. Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 3h47m19s (1st); 27h29m59s
2. Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 3h58m07s (5th) + 10m57s
3. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 3h51m31s (3rd) + 18m05s
4. Nani Roma/Lucas Cruz Senra (E/E); Mitsubishi Racing Lancer; 3h51m34s (4th) + 33m31s
5. Robby Gordon/Andy Grider (USA/USA); Hummer; 4h10m59s (8th) + 1h32m01s
6. Krzysztof Holowczyc/Jean-Marc Fortin (PL/B); Nissan Navara; 4h04m52s (7th) + 2h57m05s
7. Ivar Tollefsen/Quin Evans (N/GB); Nissan Navara; 4h13m30s (9th) + 3h25m32s
8. Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D); Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 3h51m21s (2nd) + 4h51m45s
9. René Kuipers/Filipe Palmeiro (NL/P); BMW X3; 4h21m11s (12th) + 5h33m43s
10. Orlando Terranova/Alain Guehennec (RA/F); BMW X3; 5h37m07s (77th) + 5h54m41s
Monday, 12 January: La Serena (RCH) – Copiapó (RCH). The 537-kilometre ninth leg forms the first part of a trilogy of acid tests: The contenders will have their first encounter with the Atacama desert, which is known as the world’s most arid region. Rocky passages and prolonged dune stretches at the end of the 449-kilometre special stage are part of the constantly changing terrain as well.
There are 536.42 km on the menu for the 9th stage, including a 448.9-km timed section, and this is when things get serious, with fast tracks, mountains, but also some imposing dunes to get through, as well as several off-track sections to be negotiated. It will be an opportunity for the most experienced to show off their navigational skills, but also how adept...
We are at the first step of a decisive trilogy. The reputation of the Atacama Desert, known as the world’s driest, will be tested by the competitors. Those who hope to find dunes will be rewarded. But they will also be fed a generous helping of rocks. This stage is typical of the Dakar 2009, with numerous changes of terrain. The positioning of difficulties, with long stretches of dunes at the end, will require pilots to conserve their strength. They must show themselves to be both multi-talented and with a firm sense of how to manage their efforts.
