Dakar 2023 has reached its Rest Day, in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. This is a day of relaxation for the drivers and co-drivers, however for the technical crews, it’s a day of great upkeep in preparation for the last week of the race. This yr’s Dakar Rally is considerably distinctive in the sense that Rest Day got here one stage after the mid-point of the occasion, leaving TOYOTA GAZOO Racing with six phases to contest, earlier than the occasion finishes in the metropolis of Dammam on January 15th.
Intense first week earlier than relaxation day in Riyadh
For TGR, the opening week of the rally might hardly have gone higher. Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel recorded the second-fastest time in the opening stage, trailing the winners residence by simply 2min 12sec. The TGR crew moved into the lead on the very subsequent stage and have retained that place all the strategy to the Rest Day. Save for the odd puncture, their GR DKR Hilux T1+ has run faultlessly regardless of the harsh terrain of the opening week, and Nasser and Mathieu discover themselves 1hr 3min 46sec forward in the general standings, with six phases to go.
Dakar 2023’s Rest Day additionally marked a big consequence for Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings, competing in their third Dakar Rally. The South African pairing had an up-and-down begin to the occasion, posting the 10th-fastest time in the first stage, earlier than conceding 53min 12sec on the second stage. From that time onwards, nonetheless, they haven’t recorded any stage outcomes exterior the Top 10 and have moved into second place in the general standings, behind their TGR teammates.
For veteran racer Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy, a raft of punctures early in numerous phases pressured the pair to gradual their tempo into ‘survival mode’, as vehicles in the T1+ class are solely allowed to hold two spare tyres. Early punctures value the pair important time, although they’ve proven that they’ll combine it up at the head of the area, going 6th-fastest on Stage 2, and 4th-fastest on Stage 7. The pair have been as much as 4th in the general standings, earlier than relinquishing one place after a very harsh stage once more triggered two early punctures, and so they discover themselves in 5th place general at the Rest Day.
The privately entered GR Hilux T1+ of Lucas Moraes and co-driver Timo Gottschalk is up into third general, with the Dakar rookie driver exhibiting his class all through the race thus far. Including Moraes, Toyota occupy 4 of the Top 5 positions at the Rest Day – a outstanding achievement, particularly given the harshness of the terrain skilled to this point in the race.
The Rest Day is commonly a psychological turning level in the rally, as crews discover themselves heading in the direction of the end from this level ahead. For TGR, this yr’s Rest Day additionally introduced a go to from FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who spent a while with our drivers and co-drivers in the pits at the Riyadh bivouac.
Next up is Stage 9, which is able to see the crews depart Riyadh for the metropolis of Haradh, by way of a particular stage of 359km. The stage will function a liaison of 108km between Riyadh and the begin; in addition to one other liaison of 220km from the finish of the stage to the bivouac at Haradh. From Haradh, the rally will head into the so-called Empty Quarter for three phases, together with a marathon, earlier than heading again up the coast in the direction of the end in Dammam on January 15th.
Quotes:
“The Rest Day is, in fact, a day of frantic activity in the bivouac. For us, it is critical to do all the maintenance needed to ensure that the cars are in the best possible shape for the final six stages. Bear in mind that this is still more stages than any of the other W2RC rounds, and we simply cannot afford any mistakes.”
Glyn Hall, TGR Dakar Team Principal
“The Rest Day is always a significant marker in the race. From here to the finish is still a long way, but now we know that we have a good lead and must continue to protect it for six more stages. The GR Hilux has served us well to this point, and we have a lot of confidence in the car.”
Nasser Al-Attiyah
“I can only hope for fewer punctures in the upcoming week of the rally, as we’ve had a torrid time of it so far. We’ve lost a lot of time having to drive in survival mode, but with a bit of luck, we can get back on the attack in the sands of the Empty Quarter.”
Giniel de Villiers
“Being at the Rest Day in second place on the Dakar is a dream result for me. However, I realise there are still many stages to come, starting with the longest stage of this year’s rally. Anything can still happen, but for the moment we are very happy with our current standing.”
Henk Lategan
DAKAR 2023: Standings at Rest Day
| POS. | N° | CREW | TEAM | TIME | VARIATION |
| 1 | 200 | (QAT) NASSER AL-ATTIYAH(FRA) MATHIEU BAUMEL | TOYOTA GAZOO RACINGGR DKR HILUX T1+ | 31H 02′ 58” | |
| 2 | 217 | (ZAF) HENK LATEGAN(ZAF) BRETT CUMMINGS | TOYOTA GAZOO RACINGGR DKR HILUX T1+ | 32H 06′ 44” | + 01H 03′ 46” |
| 3 | 230 | (BRA) LUCAS MORAES(DEU) TIMO GOTTSCHALK | OVERDRIVE RACING | 32H 23′ 20” | + 01H 20′ 22” |
| 4 | 201 | (FRA) SEBASTIEN LOEB(BEL) FABIAN LURQUIN | BAHRAIN RAID XTREME | 32H 55′ 04” | + 01H 52′ 06” |
| 5 | 205 | (ZAF) GINIEL DE VILLIERS(ZAF) DENNIS MURPHY | TOYOTA GAZOO RACINGGR DKR HILUX T1+ | 33H 07′ 18” | + 02H 04′ 20” |
| 6 | 231 | (FRA) ROMAIN DUMAS(FRA) MAX DELFINO | REBELLION RACING | 33H 30′ 09” | + 02H 27′ 11” |
| 7 | 210 | (CZE) MARTIN PROKOP(CZE) VIKTOR CHYTKA | ORLEN BENZINA TEAM | 33H 39′ 58” | + 02H 37′ 00” |
| 8 | 216 | (ZAF) BRIAN BARAGWANATH(ZAF) LEONARD CREMER | CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM | 33H 45′ 04” | + 02H 42′ 06” |
| 9 | 224 | (CHN) WEI HAN(CHN) MA LI | HANWEI MOTORSPORT TEAM | 34H 18′ 01” | + 03H 15′ 03” |
| 10 | 220 | (ARG) JUAN CRUZ YACOPINI(ESP) DANIEL OLIVERAS CARRERAS | OVERDRIVE RACING | 34H 43′ 20” | + 03H 40′ 22” |
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing enjoys a mutually helpful relationship with its companions Red Bull, Kinto, Eurol and the Innovation Group. The group can also be supported by Hallspeed, SKF, Spanjaard, Edgecam, Supreme Springs, Shatterprufe, Smith’s Manufacturing, Oakley, Lumotech, OMP, MSA, SACCS and the FIA. Thanks additionally to Ingco, Jonsson Workwear and USN for their help.
Posted by Toyota South Africa DAKAR on MotorPress
For extra Dakar 2023 information, comply with our motorsport web page.
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