Volkswagen tackles the Dakar Rally on 01 January 2011 with Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E), Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) and Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D). It is not only drivers, co-drivers and team personnel that have a flight to South America behind them: The four newly developed Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 also arrived by air in Argentina as part of a logistically complex contingent. The air journey for the valuable competition cars was also prepared meticulously this year. On December 10 Volkswagen Motorsport employees carefully monitored how three of the four 228 kW (310 hp) desert prototypes were loaded and securely lashed onto special open containers – so-called “flat racks” for the air transport. The fourth Race Touareg started its journey from Hanover one week later. A haulage company transported all four rally vehicles to Amsterdam. “One car left on 12 December, two on 16 December and the last one on 19 December,” explains Lutz Meyer, responsible for logistics at Volkswagen Motorsport. To decrease risk Volkswagen distributed the transport on several direct flights to Buenos Aires. “Additionally we’ll send a final load of around two tons of airfreight to Argentina on 15 December,” says Meyer. The contents of which are the remaining technical equipment but also include marketing and press utensils. An employee is already awaiting delivery in South America and is in charge of customs clearance. Volkswagen Motorsport then benefits from the company’s global presence: The freight is transported directly to the Volkswagen factory in Buenos Aires, where team members receive the opportunity in specific area to make final preparations before the start. All remaining vehicles, meaning the race and service trucks and the Amarok and PanAmericana Multivan chase vehicles, started the sea crossing to South America on December 1. In Le Havre the 550 vehicles of every “Dakar” participant shared the “Grande Brasile”. The 180 metre long, 55 metre high and 35 metre wide freight ship crossed the ocean during a three week journey. Three questions for Lutz Meyer When things get serious in the Dakar Rally on 01 January 2011 for Volkswagen Motorsport, logistic expert Lutz Meyer has already completed a significant part of his work for the rally: The complex logistical preparation stage for the factory team lies in his hands. In the process it is about much more than just the four Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 which Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E), Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) and Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) put their trust during the competition. Mr Meyer, how large was the freight of vehicles and material this year which you had to coordinate for the Dakar Rally? Lutz Meyer: “In addition to the four Race Touareg and two tonnes of material which were flown to Argentina in December by airfreight, we had already dispatched all the remaining pre-loaded vehicles in advance by ship to South America. This was two Race Trucks, which also contest the rally, four trucks loaded with material for each Race Touareg, three specially equipped lorries – including one with a kitchen and showers, one with an office, one with extra material – a truck that approaches the start and finish of every stage, a truck for communications, a truck to support the A.S.O Amarok fleet, seven Amaroks and a PanAmericana Multivan for communication, two Amaroks for Volkswagen utility vehicles, three Multivans for marketing and nine Multivans serving as team transporter.” How is loading the trucks prioritised? Lutz Meyer: “The Race Trucks that run on the stage must be light and agile. They are only equipped with material that is absolutely necessary to be able to help the Race Touareg crews occupants when necessary. Four trucks contain the individual material allocated to each Race Touareg. Then come the remaining trucks which are loaded for their unique functions. The Transporter and Amarok fleet serve as transport for the employees and press representatives. Each and every vehicle is loaded in Germany beforehand. Only the driver’s and co-driver’s luggage is loaded into the trucks in South America.” The team crosses the Andes twice with the entire fleet. Is this a special challenge? Lutz Meyer: “The whole rally is obviously a challenge and the Andes a particularly special one. The air is thin at heights of 4,000 metres. All containers filled with gas expand. You have to be careful that they don’t burst. Humans must also prepare for the high altitude. For our crews we have oxygen masks if required. The latest trucks from our vehicle partner MAN master the high mountains without any adaptation thanks to pressure sensors. Drivers of the older models refrain from going to the limit – otherwise the turbocharger over revs in the thin mountain air.”

2011 Dakar RallyVolkswagen develops Race Touareg 3 for the 2011 Dakar RallyNew design, proven technology: Volkswagen is developing an evolution model of the Race Touareg that has been victorious twice in a row for the 2011 Dakar Rally in South America.  In January 2011 the Wolfsburg-based car manufacturer will field four Race Tourareg 3 vehicles with fundamentally updated aerodynamics at the desert classic through Argentina and Chile. The cross-country rally vehicle follows the latest production model change and picks up concrete characteristics of the avant-garde shape of the Touareg II. As a result, the new Race Touareg incorporates its outstanding vehicle dynamics qualities in an even more athletic outer skin than before, with proven and extremely successful technology underneath: the TDI engine with an approximate power output of 300 hp as well as the suspension and chassis basically remain untouched.  ”The evolution of the vehicle into the Race Touareg 3 represents the next logical step we’re taking towards our big aim of achieving the hat-trick at the Dakar Rally,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “With new aerodynamics this Race Touareg will look even more spectacular than before, while quoting aspects of the design language of the new production Touareg and, in addition, receiving further detailed optimizations. Its core is well proven because we continue to bank on the consistently optimised technology package that has been giving the Race Touareg first-rate performance and maximum reliability.” Evolution in steps: Race Touareg 3 with a new face Newly designed and updated: the Race Touareg 3 is by no means a completely new development. It continues to be based on the basic engineering design of the Race Touareg 2 that was introduced in 2005. Since then the cross-country rally prototype with its innovative TDI engine has gone through an evolution in the area of the powertrain and suspension across several steps. In the step towards the Race Touareg 3 the main focus is on the new outer skin.  Tests with the Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 in the deserts of Morocco at the end of July will literally ring in the hot phase of the development programme. The extensive tests including the simulation of several rally distances will be followed by the official unveiling of the vehicle in August. In autumn the Race Touareg 3 will have its baptism of fire in competition with others: the Silk Way Rally through Russia which starts in St. Petersburg and ends in Sochi (11–18 September 2010) is regarded as a serious dress rehearsal for the legendary Dakar Rally (01–16 January 2011).

Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz

Wolfsburg (14 January 2009). Exciting team internal duel for overall lead: Volkswagen provided an impressive example of the power and performance of its TDI technology on the twelfth and longest Dakar Rally stage: Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) as well as Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) dominated the two-part twelfth stage, with a total of 476 kilometres run against the clock, from their team mates Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA). All three Race Touareg were more than ten minutes faster than their closest rivals in the process and continue to hold a commanding lead in the overall standings.

The order in the two classifications is identical: The Volkswagen factory drivers Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) celebrated their second stage win, the sixth for a Race Touareg this year. Towards the middle of the stage from San Juan to San Rafael the two Spaniards were about four minutes faster along the hard and stony subsoil than their team mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D). However, on the second sandier section consisting of many crests and jumps, Al-Attiyah reduced the gap to 52 seconds by the finish. In the overall standings the Qatari now lies 5 minutes 20 seconds behind Sainz. Miller/Pitchford (USA/ZA) completed the extremely fast starting stage 4 minutes 22 second behind in third place. He now trails the leader in the overall standings by 28 minutes 12 second in third place.

At 476 kilometres the twelfth stage contained the longest section run against the clock in the rally. However, 130 kilometres of the route were neutralised as planned. The reason: To bypass a nature reserve via a tarmac road. An ad-hoc action by the organisers confirmed just how great the locals’ enthusiasm is for the rally: In the afternoon such a large hoard of fans from nearby Mendoza stormed to the finish that the organisers had to move the finish 6,000 metres to the 470th route kilometre in order to sufficiently enlarge the spectator zones.

Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)

“Fabulous – the fight for the lead is still exciting after about 7,500 kilometres. Carlos and Lucas made up a lot of time in the first section, then Nasser and Timo fought back again. We’ll probably have to wait to Buenos Aires on Saturday to know just how this fight will end. However, I’m quite hopeful that the Dakar Rally winner will once again sit in a Volkswagen Race Touareg.”

#300 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 9th place day / 7th position overall

“At 800 kilometres an extremely long and hard ‘Dakar’ day, on which I waited twelve minutes at the start for our team mate. At the moment this is our role which we are more than happy to fill. Afterwards we followed Carlos’ dust at a respectable difference. However, I misjudged a Fesh-Fesh passage and got bogged down. We should have driven through with more speed. Nevertheless: This stage was varied and fantastic to drive.”

#303 – Carlos Sainz (E), 1st place day / 1st position overall

“The first part of the stage ran without any problems whatsoever. In the second part I quickly caught up Robby Gordon who also let me past. However, after I’d overtaken him I probably wasn’t fast enough for him. Anyway he nudged me twice on the rear. I let him past again and spent the rest of the stage in his dust cloud. All in all on this two-part route a second stage victory was the reward. We were able to slightly increase the lead as a result. What more could you wish for?”

#305 – Mark Miller (USA), 3rd place day / 3rd position overall

“An incredible day. Very long, very hard for the material. In the first part it was all hard, stony tracks and I thought that we had a found a good pace here as we were able to catch our team mate Nasser Al-Attiyah. Up until I heard from Carlos who had taken a lot of time off us. The second part was very hard for the suspension because of the sandy and bumpy sections. Today we can genuinely say that the Race Touareg gives as good as it gets.”

#306 – Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), 2nd place day / 2nd position overall

“In the first part I didn’t feel completely comfortable with my set-up. It was easy to make mistakes here and damage the material, which is why I played safe. In the sand the reverse was the case: Our set-up and the choice of tyre pressures were perfect. As a result, I could make up some of the time I had lost in the morning. It’s still exciting. However, to be honest a change in fortunes to my benefit is only really possible tomorrow in the dunes.”

Number of the day

In the build-up to and during the 2010 Dakar Rally Volkswagen Motorsport has sent to date 231,516 emails including this press release. This includes the daily report and also the preliminary reports.

Three question to Volkswagen race truck driver François Verbist

You are living the dream of many racing drivers: To drive the “Dakar”. With, however, a completely different goal – what’s it like to drive the race truck for a factory team like Volkswagen?

“To be perfectly honest I’m absolutely delighted to be able to do the job. Our task is to make the finish every day and if the worst comes to the worst to be there when a Race Touareg needs help. The incident involving Giniel de Villiers on the third stage when we were able to help him with an electrical problem showed just how important it can be. Now he still has a good chance of grabbing a good result for Volkswagen. However the job is varied. The ‘Dakar’ throws up a new challenge every day, you have to conquer new terrain every day. This makes the job even more interesting.”

In your homeland Belgium you were already a champion in a one-make touring car series. Doesn’t a real racer like you get itchy feet and want to attack during the “Dakar”?

“No, because in touring car sprint races I can give my best and also win, I don’t have the urge to attack during the ‘Dakar’. The job is like it is: To reach the finish as safely as possible, which is why we agreed that our 6×6 and 4×4 race trucks should always drive through the stages together. In this way we save lots of time since we can tow one another out if either of the trucks should get stuck in the sand. I think that our overall positions 13 and 14 demonstrate that ‘safe’ is also a good ‘Dakar’ tactic.”

Which was the most exciting stage up to now in the race truck?

“Definitely the seventh from Iquique to Antofagasta. There were extremely high dunes with very soft sand here. In other words a genuine desert stage, which is already difficult enough to master with full-blooded race trucks like the Kamaz. To complete the mission – to see the stage finish – was a really tough task here. Particularly when you think that each truck is carrying almost 1.5 tonnes of spare parts and equipment on board for emergency purposes.”

Standings after leg 12, San Juan (RA)–San Rafael (RA); 476/796 km SS 12/total

Pos.; Team; Vehicle; Leg 12; Total time

1 Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 3h 30m 29s (1) 42h 47m 24s

2 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 3h 31m 21s (2) + 5m 20s

3 Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 3h 34m 51s (3) + 28m 12s

4 Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-P. Cottret (F/F) BMW X3 CC 3h 41m 18s (4) + 2h 20m 42s

5 Guerlain Chicherit/Tina Thörner (F/S) BMW X3 CC 5h 09m 39s (28) + 4h 02m 50s

6 Carlos Sousa/Matthieu Baumel (P/F) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 3h 49m 42s (7) + 4h 13m 25s

7 Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 3h 55m 50s (9) + 5h 04m 54s

8 Robby Gordon/Andy Grider (USA/USA) Hummer 3h 41m 25s (5) + 5h 52m 34s

9 Guilherme Spinelli/Filipe Palmeiro (BR/P) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 3h 57m 26s (10) + 5h 55m 22s

10 Orlando Terranova/Pascal Maimon (RA/F) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 3h 52m 19s (8) + 5h 55m 32s

Coming up …

Friday, 15 January: 13th leg, San Rafael (RA)–Santa Rosa (RA). Day 13 also presents the “Dakar” heroes with plenty of kilometres to be completed. A total of 725, which includes 368 against the clock, are on the agenda between San Rafael and Santa Rosa. The flatter route profile and the expanse of the legendary Pampa dominate the day’s picture. As a result, the pace increases and with it the risk of failing with the finish practically in sight – more can be lost that won here.

Carlos Sainz - Dakar 2010

Wolfsburg (10 January 2010). Three “Blues” top the leader board: Volkswagen comfortably defended its first three positions overall on the Dakar Rally’s eighth stage between Antofagasta to Copiapó. Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) finished second on the day and continue to hold the overall lead by 14 minutes 35 seconds ahead of their team mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) and 22 minutes 28 seconds in front of Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA).

The rally professionals staged and open head-to-head battle throughout the 472 kilometre long and extremely tough stage through Chile. The official time keeping recorded no less than four changes to the lead. To start, the X-raid BMW drivers Guerlain Chicherit (F) and Stéphane Peterhansel (F) exchanged places up until the mid-point of the stage before Mark Miller assumed the lead for Volkswagen. Then last year’s winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) took control of proceedings in the fourth Race Touareg before they were caught by Peterhansel just short of the finish line after suffering their second puncture. Peterhansel, who also complained of a tyre failure, nevertheless moved up to fourth place overall as closest rival to the Volkswagen trio almost two hours behind. After suffering two punctures each Sainz, Miller, de Villiers and Al-Attiyah took second to fifth on the day separated by 3 minutes 32 seconds.

The eighth “Dakar” day was dominated by a near 400 kilometre long, extremely stony section. Large boulders and trial-like passages made this part of the 472 kilometre long special stage into a real challenge for suspension and tyres. Constant changes of rhythm demanded permanent concentration from the drivers and navigators. A dune section of soft sand ended the stage between Antofagasta and Copiapó.

Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)

“A perfect day as all four Race Touaregs ran fantastically and we are still at the top of the leader board with all three cars. Today we experienced one of the most difficult stages overall. The stage was particularly hard to the suspension and tyres. The stage did however show the exceedingly high-quality of work done by our mechanics on the rest day. Our drivers were given perfect material for today and the Race Touareg once again demonstrated just how extremely robust and reliable it is.”

#300 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 4th place day / 9th position overall

“That was by far the most picturesque and difficult stage of the 2010 Dakar Rally so far. Fields of scree, canyons and at the end plenty of sand and of course many changes in rhythm between fast and slow sections – this is exactly how ‘Dakar’ stages must be made. Unfortunately Lady Luck has deserted us during this rally. We could have won today’s stage but two punctures put paid to this. With a little more luck our slow puncture, which had already held several hundreds of kilometres, would not have needed changing only 30 kilometres before the finish …”

#303 – Carlos Sainz (E), 2nd place day / 1st position overall

“I’ve never seen so many stones in my entire life. Almost the entire stage – apart from the last belt of dunes – consisted from gravel and extremely large boulders. Unfortunately we had a tyre failure right at the beginning and we had to use our second spare tyre almost 200 kilometres before the finish. This also meant that we had to approach the final section extremely cautiously. It’s a great relief to be at the front still after this tough and demanding stage.”

#305 – Mark Miller (USA), 3rd place day / 3rd position overall

“An extremely varied day. Not just as far as the landscape was concerned but also from the sporting point of view. We overtook Carlos Sainz and Guerlain Chicherit in his X-raid BMW several times during the stage, however punctures constantly mixed up the running order on the route. In the road book this morning it looked as if the first section of 40 kilometres would be stony. Fact is, however, it was 400 kilometres of stones, stones and even more stones. This caused us to have two punctures.”

#306 – Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), 5th place day / 2nd position overall

“You can describe today’s stage particularly well with the word ‘stony’. Many gravel fields, many slow passages but also constant changes in rhythm to fast sections. We had to change a punctured tyre twice, and we also got bogged down in the final dune section. All in all we didn’t lose too much time to our team mate Carlos Sainz and we are happy to have put this extremely hard stage behind us without a single mechanical problem.”

Number of the day

On the eighth stage between Antofagasta and Copiapó the Volkswagen factory driver Carlos Sainz changed gear 2,066 times. The Spaniard completed 38 per cent of the distance in fifth gear, 33 of the hundred in the fourth gear. Sainz drove 21 per cent of the 472 special stage kilometres in third, six in second gear and two per cent in first gear.

From the Volkswagen bivouac

- High ranking visit: Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet visits Volkswagen

Chiles President Michelle Bachelet used the 2010 Dakar Rally’s rest day in Antofagasta to look around the Volkswagen factory team’s bivouac. The former paediatrician formed a picture of the routine work at Volkswagen and was explained the ins and outs of the 300 hp Race Touareg by Carlos Sainz.

- Like a hurricane: “Scorpion” Rudolf Schenker rocks the Dakar Rally

Rock musician Rudolf Schenker from the “Scorpions” gave the Volkswagen factory team a musical delicacy. During the rest day the guitarist of the Hanover based band got to grips with the new Amarok, which celebrated its premiere at the Dakar Rally in the form of a specially adapted version. In addition, the 61-year old harvested the applause of the impressed 85 team members and other guests following a spontaneous guitar solo in the Volkswagen bivouac.

- “Dakar” winner among “Dakar” winners: Jacky Ickx guest at Volkswagen

Among the Volkswagen guests during the rest day in Antofagasta was motorsport legend Jacky Ickx. The former Formula 1 driver, six-time Le Mans winner and “Dakar” winner from 1983 remains a great fan of the off-road sport. “The drivers’ performance is incredible,” says Ickx. “However you should never forget that the co-drivers are just as important as the drivers themselves. And particularly on the rest day it is great to watch the unsung heroes behind the success at work: the mechanics.”

Standings after leg 8, Antofagasta (RCH)–Copiapó (RCH); 472/568 km SS 8/total

Pos.; Team; Vehicle; Leg 8; Total time

1 Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 5h 06m 50s (2) 31h 28m 13s

2 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 5h 10m 22s (5) + 14m 35s

3 Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 5h 07m 12s (3) + 22m 28s

4 Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-P. Cottret (F/F) BMW X3 CC 5h 06m 05s (1) + 2h 02m 25s

5 Guerlain Chicherit/Tina Thörner (F/S) BMW X3 CC 5h 28m 09s (8) + 2h 24m 13s

6 Krzysztof Holowczyc/Jean-Marc Fortin (PL/B) Nissan Pick-up 5h 31m 37s (9) + 2h 45m 45s

7 Carlos Sousa/Matthieu Baumel (P/F) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 5h 27m 15s (7) + 3h 29m 23s

8 Guilherme Spinelli/Filipe Palmeiro (BR/P) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 5h 47m 27s (11) + 4h 04m 12s

9 Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 5h 10m 06s (4) + 4h 34m 49s

10 Robby Gordon/Andy Grider (USA/USA) Hummer 5h 43m 04s (10) + 5h 01m 24s

Coming up …

Monday, 11 January: 9th leg, Copiapó (RCH)–La Serena (RCH). On the one hand hard, stony, off-road sections and, on the other, fast sections over gravel – the stage between Copiapó and the seaside resort makes the same demands of men and machine. On the ninth stage of the “Dakar” the navigators are in demand: Innumerable junctions in canyons must be taken correctly so as not to lose any time.

The Dakar Rally on TV

11 January

00:45–01:30 Eurosport Highlights 8th leg (re-run)

08:35–09:15 Eurosport Highlights 8th leg (re-run)

11:15–12:00 Eurosport Highlights 8th leg (re-run)

18:45–19:03 RTL RTL aktuell (evening news)

20:20–20:30 Eurosport Arrival at the finish; live report

23:00–23:45 Eurosport Highlights 9th leg

Additional reports on the news and sports programmes of channels n-tv, ARD, ZDF, DMAX and Sky (Motorvision TV).

Volkswagen Motorsport public website: www.volkswagen-motorsport.com

2010 Dakar Rally info: www.dakar.com

Volkswagen “Dakar” iPhone app: www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/dakar_iPhone

Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz

Wolfsburg (09 January 2010). Volkswagen shows a positive mid-point track record at the Dakar Rally: Three of the five Race Touareg cars that started to the ‘Dakar’ are clearly leading the world’s toughest rally on its only rest day.

After seven of 14 legs Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) are ranking 11m 03s ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) and 22m 06s in front of Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA). Three stage wins have so far gone to Volkswagen, on four days one of the driver/co-driver pairings with TDI power led the event. The legendary motorsport cross-country marathon put extreme demands on “man and material” during the first rally week: On the first seven legs from Buenos Aires (Argentina) via Iquique to Antofagasta (both in Chile) the rally featured quick sections as well as dizzying altitudes of up to 4,726 metres above mean sea level during the first crossing of the Andes. Deep and soft sand, towering dunes, steep mountain ranges and endless scree fields are again making the desert classic the greatest challenge motorsport has to offer.

The extreme demands took a toll on Volkswagen too. The title defenders Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) lost several hours on the third stage due to damage that occurred as the consequence of an accident. On the sixth rally day the Brazilian duo Maurício Neves/Clécio Maestrelli retired due to injuries suffered in an accident.

Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)

“My assessment after the first seven of 14 ‘Dakar’ days? First of all: The competition is tough, particularly the X-raid team and Stéphane Peterhansel are fast. Secondly: The first half of the rally was harder than expected. And thirdly: Everyone in the team is doing an outstanding job. I’m proud of each and every one in the squad. We’re leading this extremely tough competition with three vehicles. This means that we’ve achieved a lot but haven’t won anything yet. The following will apply to the coming seven stages as it has before: You’ve always got to stay cool-headed at the ‘Dakar’. Only then will you have a chance to be at the very front in the end as well. The rest day is just a snapshot.”

#300 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 12th place overall

“Our first rally week was anything but perfect. We lost a lot of time as a result of many small mishaps but particularly due to an accident. We’re no longer in the race for ‘Dakar’ victory. But that’s the ‘Dakar’: hard and unrelenting. The main thing that counts for us is finishing each leg and being on the spot if one of our team-mates needs help.”

#300 – Dirk von Zitzewitz (D), co-driver

“This is definitely not our rally. After a number of problems we don’t have any more chances of successfully defending our title. But in no way does this apply to the entire Volkswagen team. That three ‘blue’ vehicles are ranking in the top three positions gives the squad an outstanding starting base for the second rally week. My driver Giniel de Villiers and I will give all we’ve got to help our team-mates in the title defence project.”

#303 – Carlos Sainz (E), 1st place overall

“The first half of the ‘Dakar’ was positive for us in every respect. We’re leading the rally after extremely tough stages ahead of two team-mates. The Race Touareg is running like clockwork – no matter whether in soft and deep sand, on gravel or on stony ground. So, all in all, there’s plenty of reason to be happy – as well as a big ‘but’: We’ve merely finished half of the rally.”

#303 – Lucas Cruz (E), co-driver

“It’s hard to sum up the first seven ‘Dakar’ days in just a few words. The competitive level is extremely high. None of the drivers is in control of the pace; each team has also had to cope with setbacks. This shows that this ‘Dakar’ is tough, even tougher than last year. It requires maximum consistency and a driving style that is focused on taking it easy on the material while being quick in the process. It’s still a long way to Buenos Aires.”

#305 – Mark Miller (USA), 3rd place overall

“Volkswagen’s starting base for the remaining stages is outstanding, and that’s all you can ask for. One, two and three – the Race Touareg has proved the characteristics that made it excel at the past ‘Dakar’ as well: being the fastest as well as the most reliable cross-country rally vehicle. And to be honest: Ralph Pitchford and I’ve had to suffer a few minor setbacks and would like to be in a slightly better position in the overall standings. But we can still work our way forwards some more during the second week. That’s our goal.”

#305 – Ralph Pitchford (ZA), co-driver

“The first ‘Dakar’ stages were hard, definitely much harder than last year. It makes ultimate demands on ‘man and material’. My driver Mark Miller managed achieved the balancing act between fast and gentle driving. Added to this is the total sturdiness of the Race Touareg, which successfully handles even the toughest tests. Mark and I’ve got a good starting base. I’m already looking forward to the second week and the chance of perhaps improving our third place even further.”

#306 – Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), 2nd place overall

“We delivered a good team performance on the first seven stages. Four Race Touareg cars are still in the race and the starting base with our one-two-three lead is excellent. My co-driver Timo Gottschalk and I are within a striking distance of the overall lead as well. Even though the remaining legs will be anything but easy we continue aiming for ‘Dakar’ victory. But to achieve it, it’s necessary to proceed with prudence and show no weaknesses.”

#306 – Timo Gottschalk (D), co-driver

“For my driver Nasser Al-Attiyah and me this ‘Dakar’ has had many ups as well as a few downs. Still, our starting base is good and the rally has not been decided yet by a long shot. It’s hard to make a prediction – considering how often the lead has changed. In any event, we want to have our say in the fight for overall victory. But that means we’ve got to remain patient in the second week too.”

#312 – Maurício Neves (BR), retired

“Unfortunately, for me and Clécio Maestrelli the ‘Dakar’ dream ended all too soon. On the sixth stage we overlooked a hole in the dust and rolled over several times. I fractured four ribs in the process. But that sounds worse than it is because, considering the severity of the accident, I suffered only minor injuries thanks to the sturdiness of the Race Touareg. It’s too bad for the team for whose work our arrival at the finish in Buenos Aires would have been a great reward.”

#312 – Clécio Maestrelli (BR), co-driver

“That we retired so early is a bitter pill. The Dakar Rally is a great experience and we really enjoyed the days up to our accident. My thanks go to the Volkswagen squad who gave us this opportunity.”

Standings after leg 07, Iquique (RCH)–Antofagasta (RCH); 600/641 km SS 07/total

Pos.; Team; Vehicle; Leg 07; Total time

1 Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 5h 45m 50s (3) 26h 21m 23s

2 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 5h 41m 29s (1) + 11m 03s

3 Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 5h 50m 09s (4) + 22m 06s

4 Guerlain Chicherit/Tina Thörner (F/S) BMW X3 CC 5h 57m 02s (5) + 2h 02m 54s

5 Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-P. Cottret (F/F) BMW X3 CC 5h 44m 58s (2) + 2h 03m 10s

6 Krzysztof Holowczyc/Jean-Marc Fortin (PL/B) Nissan Pick-up 6h 23m 08s (8) + 2h 20m 58s

7 Carlos Sousa/Matthieu Baumel (P/F) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 7h 20m 44s (17) + 3h 08m 58s

8 Guilherme Spinelli/Filipe Palmeiro (BR/P) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 6h 57m 07s (12) + 3h 23m 35s

9 Leonid Novitskiy/Andreas Schulz (RUS/D) BMW X3 CC 6h 52m 53s (11) + 4h 17m 21s

10 Robby Gordon/Andy Grider (USA/USA) Hummer 8h 22m 35s (24) + 4h 25m 10s

12 Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 6h 02m 51s (6) + 4h 31m 33s

Coming up next …

Sunday, 10 January: 8th leg, Antofagasta (RCH)–Copiapó (RCH). An easy re-start after the break? Not by a long shot because the “Dakar” organisers have scheduled the second-longest – 472-kilometre – special of the second rally week for the leg following the rest day. Again, a mix of sand, gravel and firm clay soil and constant changes between different types of terrain will be in store for the participants.

Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk

Wolfsburg (05 January 2010). After a successful beginning in Argentina, Volkswagen has proved the qualities of the Race Touareg on the first Chilean leg of the 2010 Dakar Rally as well. Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) achieved third place at the demanding crossing of the Andes on the fourth leg from Fiambalá to Copiapó with a gap of 2m 26s behind the stage winners Robby Gordon/Andy Grider (USA/USA) in the Hummer and Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-Paul Cottret (F/F) from the X-raid team.

In the following places, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) and Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) in the Race Touareg with TDI power completed Volkswagen’s successful stage. Maurício Neves/Clécio Maestrelli (BR/BR) reached the stage destination for Volkswagen in tenth place. At an average speed of 95.15 km/h Al-Attiyah as the best Volkswagen driver was clearly faster than on the previous day’s stage, which featured lots of dunes and was run at a speed that, on average, was about 35 km/h slower.

After four of the 14 stages Stéphane Peterhansel continues ranking in front of the Volkswagen trio Carlos Sainz, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mark Miller while Maurício Neves is in tenth place overall. After achieving a fifth-place finish today, last year’s winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz, who had dropped back the day before due to electrical damage – as a result of an accident – came back with a top position in the Race Touareg.

In view of the high level of difficulty of yesterday’s stage and the fact that various participants had not even arrived at the previous leg’s finish during the night the organiser decided to shorten today’s stage. As a result, the fourth special stage only encompassed the first 163 of the planned 203 kilometres.

Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)

“It was a thrilling day which Robby Gordon finished as the surprise winner. All five Volkswagen vehicles reached the finish among the top eight cars. The five Race Touareg vehicles were running without the slightest technical problems. This means we’re fully on schedule. And we’re pleased to see that the Dakar Rally is such an exciting and open race.”

#300 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 5th place leg / 20th place overall

“After yesterday’s electrical problem I started far at the rear of the field today and had to overtake many cars. That’s why I had to struggle a bit with dust. In addition, I must have caught a cold and started to the special stage with a headache. Every pothole hurts twice as much in that case. Aside from that, it was a great day. The car is running flawlessly.”

#303 – Carlos Sainz (E), 4th place leg / 2nd place overall

“The leg today tended to be one of the faster types on which we had no problems whatsoever. On the contrary: The Race Touareg was running like a charm today. In one of the situations we lost some time because at a tricky place we weren’t sure whether or not we’d taken the right way. So we decided to play it safe there, but that wasn’t the quickest option.”

#305 – Mark Miller (USA), 6th place leg / 4th place overall

“That was probably not the strongest stage for us because we got stuck on a dune for a few minutes. It wasn’t really deep but enough to lose a lot of time. That was my fault because I may have been too cautious in that place. We had to get out of the car and jack it up to free it. That explains our loss of time.”

#306 – Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), 3rd place leg / 3rd place overall

“Today, we had a bit of bad luck again. A slow puncture cost us a lot of time. But we decided not to change the tyre and, instead, added more air. Unfortunately, we had to stop twice, so this decision didn’t pay off. I’m sure that otherwise I could have won the special. Consequently, I’m a bit disappointed.”

#312 – Maurício Neves (BR), 10th place leg / 10th place overall

“That’s what ‘Dakar’ days should be like. Gravel stretches on slippery sections, downhill passages and beautiful dune crossings – a landscape right out of a picture book. To experience all this with the Race Touareg is simply fantastic. Unfortunately, we again caught a puncture today – if we hadn’t, our result might well have been better.”

Number of the day

Six to seven hours of film footage is transmitted by the “Dakar” organiser A.S.O. to 190 countries every day. In addition, 13 cameras are being used, three of them in helicopters, five during the special stages, two at the stage finishes and three at the bivouac. The pictures are transmitted to the bivouac via three satellite uplink stations and edited at 18 cutting stations using a server with a data capacity of 19 terra-bytes. A total of 115 people are assigned to support the international feed of TV footage distributed worldwide. In addition, there are the accredited camera teams producing their own footage on location for 19 TV channels.

From the Volkswagen bivouac

- 1999, 2009, 2010 – reunited in the Volkswagen team

Timo Gottschalk has been able to rely on the support of an old buddy since March 2008: One of his mechanics serving the Race Touareg designated as car number 306 is Niklas Birr. In 1999 the two Berliners contested their first ever world championship rally together in the SEAT Ibiza Cupra according to the Group N regulations in Corsica, with Birr as the driver and Gottschalk as the co-driver. “Timo was exceptionally well prepared at that time too,” recalls Birr who has been working with the “Dakar” in 2009 and 2010 as a mechanic for Gottschalk’s car. “Even back then his dream was to become a professional co-driver.” Gottschalk, too, has fond memories of his first WRC rally in Corsica. “That was our first international appearance, so it was very exciting,” says Gottschalk. “I think we managed attracting attention by setting a couple of good stage times and a seventh-place finish in our class.”

- Hot greetings: 58-degree difference between temperatures at Wolfsburg and Fiambalá

The heat around Fiambalá and Copiapó put a heavy strain on “man and material” on the third and fourth legs. On the way to Fiambalá the sensors of the Race Touareg in the air inlet system logged a peak ambient temperature of 48 degrees Celsius. For Volkswagen Motorsport this marks a particularly stark contrast: The team members who had helped to prepare the “Dakar” but stayed in Wolfsburg were struggling with snow and ice at minus 10 degrees Celsius back home – a temperature difference of 58 degrees.

- Rubber stamp: special souvenirs in the passport

The “Dakar” participants and their service crews are having a unique souvenir stamped into their passports at the two border crossings between Argentina and Chile. The first clearing of customs during the 2010 “Dakar” took place at the first crossing of the Andes from Fiambalá to Copiapó. The official act was certified with a stamp specially made for the world’s toughest rally, adorned with the words “Rally Dakar Argentina–Chile” and the Dakar Rally’s logo.

Standings after leg 04, Fiambalá (RA)–Copiapó (RCH); 185/629 km SS 04/total

Pos.; Team; Vehicle; Leg 04; Total time

1 Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-P. Cottret (F/F) BMW X3 CC 1h 40m 22s (2) 10h 54m 50s

2 Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 1h 43m 25s (4) + 7m 36s

3 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 1h 42m 47s (3) + 9m 56s

4 Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 1h 46m 35s (6) + 19m 25s

5 Alfie Cox/Jürgen Schröder (ZA/D) Nissan Pick-up 1h 51m 54s (11) + 59m 30s

6 Krzysztof Holowczyc/Jean-Marc Fortin (PL/B) Nissan Pick-up 1h 59m 22s (17) + 1h 00m 38s

7 Carlos Sousa/Matthieu Baumel (P/F) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 1h 56m 37s (16) + 1h 03m 00s

8 Robby Gordon/Andy Grider (USA/USA) Hummer 1h 40m 21s (1) + 1h 04m 53s

9 Guilherme Spinelli/Filipe Palmeiro (BR/P) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 1h 54m 53s (14) + 1h 16m 23s

10 Maurício Neves/Clécio Maestrelli (BR/BR) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 1h 51m 43s (10) + 1h 20m 35s

20 Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 1h 44m 35s (5) + 3h 04m 59s

Coming up next …

Wednesday, 06 January: 5th leg, Copiapó (RCH)–Antofagasta (RCH). The first day of an extremely tough desert four-pack will start with a 483-kilometre special stage – the second-longest one of the first “Dakar” week. Drivers and technical crews should be prepared for many sandy passages with dune crossings at high altitudes. But the Atacama desert also offers gravel and scree passages to challenge drivers and co-drivers.

Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk in Stage2 with VW Touareg TDI

The factory squad continued the solid team performance from the previous day: Maurício Neves/Clécio Maestrelli (BR/BR) secured third place on the special stage between Córdoba and La Rioja, Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) fifth and Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz eighth place. This means that all five Race Touareg vehicles are among the top six in the overall standings of the world’s toughest rally.

The special stage that took the “Dakar” participants in a north-westerly direction featured quick gravel passages as well as jumps and lengthy bends. In addition, there were rougher and stonier sections on the agenda of this special.

Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)

“It was an outstanding day for Volkswagen because things went very well. Those who were in one of the front starting positions today were clearly at a disadvantage. Tomorrow, we’ll be in for a difficult stage. But I’m very happy with our stage and overall results and therefore I’m confident that we’ll be able to continue this way tomorrow.”

#300 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 8th place leg / 6th place overall

“It was a strenuous and long day that, due to overnight rainfalls, started with muddy ground, partial fog and poor visibility and kept us busy with many slippery places. On a hilltop I caught a stone alongside the track which gave us a slow puncture. We lost a little bit of time until we found a place to change the tyre. But the rally will only really get started tomorrow with the first dune stage.”

#303 – Carlos Sainz (E), 4th place leg / 2nd place overall

“Today was anything but easy. As early as after two kilometres we overtook Nani Roma in the X-raid-BMW who had gotten off the track. That’s why we had the honour of opening the route, which was really tricky: in the mud and fog of the first part we acted cautiously the twisty section on gravel was physically strenuous. We’re still in a good position for the days ahead.”

#305 – Mark Miller (USA), 5th place leg / 4th place overall

“Today really put us to the test in the cockpit for four solid hours and took quite a toll on us. We’re very pleased with the result. Our goal for this stage was to stay within a striking distance and we managed doing that. Now, we’re looking forward to the first real dune stage. The last kilometres in the dunes were a few months ago, so we’re really hot to tackle them.”

#306 – Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), 1st place leg / 1st place overall

“At the beginning – like yesterday – I was cautious. But when the muddy and slippery part was over we attacked a little more. I think we found a good pace without taking too much of a risk. Actually it felt as though we hadn’t been driving all that fast. But the stage victory shows that we did everything right.”

#312 – Maurício Neves (BR), 3rd place leg / 5th place overall

“Fantastic. I really like this type of stage. It was very demanding technically, many bends alternated with downhill and uphill sections. We didn’t have a single problem, did a good job of calculating the risk and thus avoided punctures. In addition, my co-driver Clécio Maestrelli did an outstanding job. We’re more than pleased. We’re overjoyed with having clinched third place today.”

Number of the day

The fastest spring deflection motion of a Race Touareg was measured on the second rally day on the vehicle of Maurício Neves at 8.3 metres per second – more than ten times faster than a road-going vehicle. On average, the 300-hp “Dakar” prototype of the Volkswagen factory driver, which is equipped with dampers from partner ZF Sachs, achieved over 20 of the maximum permissible 25 centimetres of suspension travel more than 35 times per kilometre.

Three questions for car chief Martin Hassenpflug

You are assigned as chief mechanic for Nasser Al-Attiyah’s car. Experience is said to be of paramount importance at the “Dakar”…

“The 2010 ‘Dakar’ is indeed my sixth one already and for two years I’ve been working as car chief: last year for Dieter Depping’s vehicle and now for Nasser Al-Attiyah and Timo Gottschalk. It’s immensely important to know every nut and bolt of the Race Touareg inside and out in order to be precise and efficient. After having prepared the car from scratch together with the other members of the car crew it’s like your own baby, so it goes without saying that you want to do your job every day with due meticulousness.”

Work within the car crew is organised according to a strict hierarchy. What does the process flow during a service look like?

“The car chief is the connecting link between the race engineer and the mechanics and ensures that the work is distributed as perfectly as possible. He is also responsible for all the jobs to be done on the car. Everyone in the team knows in advance exactly what their tasks are with respect to the service and the checks. But in the event that something out of the ordinary should have to be done, as the chief mechanic, I assign the respective work.”

So, you’re the contact person for the race engineer on the one hand and your fellow mechanics on the other. What traits does a good car chief have to possess?

“First of all, you’ve got to set an example and be a total team player. After all, the Dakar Rally is the toughest one in the world and that goes for the daily service too. Consequently, at times it’s necessary to practice the art of motivation. It’s possible for anyone to have a bad day now and then, but everyone in the squad wants to do as perfect a job as possible. So, careful attention to detail is another typical trait of a mechanic.”

Standings after leg 02, Córdoba (RA)–La Rioja (RA); 355/687 km SS 02/total

Pos.; Team; Vehicle; Leg 02; Total time

1 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 4h 01m 55s (1) 6h 16m 39s

2 Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 4h 04m 36s (4) + 1m 19s

3 Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-P. Cottret (F/F) BMW X3 CC 4h 05m 04s (6) + 2m 30s

4 Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 4h 04m 39s (5) + 5m 28s

5 Maurício Neves/Clécio Maestrelli (BR/BR) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 4h 03m 56s (3) + 5m 40s

6 Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 4h 08m 10s (8) + 7m 17s

7 Carlos Sousa/Matthieu Baumel (P/F) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 4h 08m 15s (9) + 10m 13s

8 Nani Roma/Michel Périn (E/F) BMW X3 CC 4h 17m 08s (18) + 11m 44s

9 Robby Gordon/Andy Grider (USA/USA) Hummer 4h 13m 04s (11) + 12m 28s

10 Christian Lavieille/Jean-Paul Forthomme (F/B) Nissan Pick-up 4h 08m 09s (7) + 12m 50s

Coming up next …

Monday, 04 January: 3rd leg, La Rioja (RA)–Fiambalá (RA). The special stage between La Rioja and Fiambalá was the pinnacle of the past 2009 Dakar Rally in the opposite direction. The Sierras Pampeanas, sand galore and the famous towering white dunes provide the terrain to be mastered on the third day of the competition. But in view of many tricky forks in the roads the stage demands both highly accomplished driving and navigational skills.

Wolfsburg (29 December 2009). At the turn of the New Year the Dakar Rally spellbinds millions of people around the planet. From 1 January 2010 when the Volkswagen factory drivers Carlos Sainz, Giniel de Villiers, Mark Miller, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Maurício Neves attempt to defend the first historical diesel victory from last year during the marathon event in Argentina and Chile they set off on a magnificent journey. Interesting figures about the “Dakar”.

8:59 minutes was the winning margin of Volkswagen factory driver Giniel de Villiers/
Dirk von Zitzewitz as they celebrated the first ever victory for a diesel prototype in the “Dakar” in 2009. Second place went to their team mates Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford
10 of a possible 13 stage victories were credited to Volkswagen in 2009
12 overall victories in 28 rally events were celebrated by the Volkswagen Race
Touareg 2
14 day long stages are on the “Dakar” agenda between 2 and 16 January 2010
32 events held – the “Dakar” is a genuine motorsport classic
50 tonnes of material are required by the Volkswagen team for the “Dakar” – from bolts and hand tools via spare wheels to packet soup
80 people travel with 23 service vehicles through Argentina and Chile in the Volkswagen armada to support the five works cars – from mechanics the Team Manager to physiotherapist
100 times drier than Death Valley – this is the Atacama Desert through which four of the 14 daily stages are held. Several weather stations there have never recorded rain
138 teams are registered car in the category. Including five factory supported Volkswagen Race Touareg 2. Also on the road: 50 competitors in the truck classification and 184 motorbikes and quads
190 countries broadcast television reports covering the Dakar Rally
300 hp is produced by the TDI diesel engine in the Volkswagen Race Touareg 2
600 kilometres is the longest competitive stage held on 9 January, the shortest still amounts to 182 kilometre
4,726 metres above sea level is the highest point along the rally route – the San Francisco Pass in the Andes
5,000 single parts are required to assemble each of the five Volkswagen Race Touareg – the powerful 300 hp TDI power plant is not included in this figure
9,030 kilometre is the overall distance of the 2010 “Dakar” – this includes 4,810 kilometres covered in the 14 competitive stages
Volkswagen “Dakar” iPhone app: www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/dakar_iPhone

Wolfsburg (17 December 2009). Five Race Touaregs, one destination: Buenos Aires. Volkswagen has flown the rally cars for the Dakar Rally to South America. The five powerful 300 hp cross country rally prototypes for Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D), Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA), Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) and Maurício Neves/Clécio Maestrelli (BR/BR) are winging their way by airfreight to the Argentine capital and starting point of the “Dakar”. Between 2 and 16 January the Wolfsburg based automobile manufacturer confronts the toughest test which motorsport has to offer. From Buenos Aires the route of the famous “Dakar” desert rally runs twice over the Andes, through the legendary Pampa and across the unforgiving Atacama Desert. The remaining material – the service vehicles including tools, equipment and spare parts – had already started to the “Dakar” by sea freight on 1 December.

“As of today we are finally ready for the ‘Dakar’. After having sent all the service team’s material on its way by ship, the most important cargo with five Race Touaregs was dispatched today to South America,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “We are all eagerly awaiting January so that we can finally tackle our big target – the title defence.”

Two 14-hour flights with valuable cargo

The five Race Touaregs took their places in a pair of cargo machines for the approximate 14-hour flight from Amsterdam Schiphol to Buenos Aires. The preliminary work was however completed in Hanover: The powerful 300 hp “Dakar” prototypes were already packed and secured on special pallets on 11 December, before being transported by truck to Amsterdam. The McDonnell-Douglas MD11 airfreight machines with three and two Race Touaregs on board then started for South America on 15 and 17 December.

“Transporting the Race Touareg by air has many advantages,” says Lutz Meyer, responsible for the “Dakar” logistics at Volkswagen Motorsport. “You really save a lot of time. While the material for the service crew is already at sea bound for Buenos Aires since the beginning of December, two more weeks remain to fully complete the Race Touaregs for the ‘Dakar’, which the team used for meticulous preparation down to the smallest detail.”

One-two-three victory for Volkswagen: Carlos Sainz wins Silk Way Rally

Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz, Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen

Carlos Sainz

The fourth Volkswagen pairing, Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D), had been fighting a close duel with Sainz/Cruz and was leading the rally up to the eighth leg. After a roll-over, which both survived unharmed, they did not start to the ninth leg any more. The final leg, which was not held as a special stage, was opened by the presidents of the three hosting countries, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, the President of Turkmenistan, Dmitri Medwedew, the President of Russia, and Nursultan Nasarbajew, the President of Kazakhstan.

Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)

“The ‘Dakar’ dress rehearsal was successful: The Race Touareg vehicles were running with absolute reliability, our drivers and co-drivers delivered a close competition and the service crew did a perfect job. Long stages, dust and heat put the entire team to a tough test. There’s no better way to prepare. My thanks also go to the organisers and the hosts who created a competition that was well-organised and marked by a high sporting level. Volkswagen is perfectly prepared to tackle the ‘title defence project’ at the Dakar Rally in January 2010.”

#100 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 3rd place overall

“We had a good rally week. For Dirk and me, it was particularly important to get used to working in the cockpit after such a long break – the ‘Dakar’ in January was our last competition. At the beginning we had a bit of a problem getting back into the swing of things, but during the second half of the rally we found the right pace. I’m very optimistic as far as the ‘Dakar’ is concerned, we’re well prepared. I enjoyed the Silk Way Rally, it was well organised and a real change.”

#100 – Dirk von Zitzewitz (D), co-driver, 3rd place overall

“The rally was a great experience and a very good test for the whole team. I’m very confident for the ‘Dakar’. I really respect the organisers; they did a good job with this rally that was a nice as well as a difficult event. We received a very warm welcome in Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and I would be happy if this rally were staged again next year.”

#101 – Carlos Sainz (E), 1st place overall

“My assessment of this rally is completely positive. Our car was running perfectly, the whole squad did an outstanding job, and it was also a long and tough event. The pace was very high throughout and the duel with Nasser and Timo was really good fun. It’s a shame that they were unlucky in the end and had to retire; they would have deserved victory as well. Our prospects of again competing for victory at the Dakar Rally in January are good.”

#101 – Lucas Cruz (E), co-driver, 1st place overall

“The navigators had a difficult job at the Silk Way Rally: Unlike at the ‘Dakar’ where the motorcycles start in front of us, we often had no orientation at all as the first vehicle out on the course. What’s more, the pace was very high and there was very little time to make decisions on the special stages with the many small branch-offs. Of course I’m happy about our victory, but the fact that the whole squad was able to get attuned to the ‘Dakar’ in an optimal manner is a lot more important.”

Mark Miller

#103 – Mark Miller (USA), 2nd place overall

“The rally really helped us to prepare for the ‘Dakar’. Ralph and I learned a lot about good teamwork in difficult situations. On three or four days, a lot more would probably have been possible for us, we’ll reflect on that again afterwards. In addition, for me as an American, it was a very special experience being able to explore these countries that were a taboo just a few years ago.”

#103 – Ralph Pitchford (ZA), co-driver, 3rd place overall

“Driving the Silk Way Rally was absolutely the right thing to do. There’s no better way to prepare for the ‘Dakar’ than in a competition in unknown territory. We can definitely be pleased with our result. Mark did a very good job of driving; the navigation problems were a bit frustrating at times. Nevertheless, ‘well done’ to the organisers; it was a very good rally.”

#104 – Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), retired

“Of course we’re disappointed about retiring so close to the finish, but these things can happen in rally racing. I was impressed with how positively the squad received us afterwards. I really feel at home with Volkswagen, Timo and I grew together as a team. That was our major goal and we achieved it. We’re ready for the ‘Dakar.’”

#104 – Timo Gottschalk (D), retired

“We fought a great duel with Carlos and Lucas and led the rally for a long time. I feel particularly sorry for the team, which did a great job day by day, that we didn’t quite make it in the end. But we proved that we’re serious contenders. Our time will come.”

Provisional final standings Silk Way Rally

Pos., Team, Vehicle, Total time

1 Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2, 24h 12m 21s

2 Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2, +21 m 52s

3 Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2, +28 m 09s

4 Ruslan Misikov/Konstantin Zhiltsov (RUS/RUS), Nissan, +4h 44m 04s

5 Ilya Kuznetsov/ Andrey Neshin (RUS/RUS), Mitsubishi, +5h 23m 30s

6 Maris Saukans/Didzis Zarnis (LV/LV), OSC, +6h 06m 56s

7 Alexey Berkut/Konstantin Meshcheryakov (RUS/RUS), Mitsubishi, +6h 12m 25s

8 Benediktas Vanagas/Saulius Jurgelenas (LT/LT), OSC, +6h 26m 11s

9 Raz Heymann/Hillel Segal (ISR/ISR), Mitsubishi, +8h 17m3 5s

10 Bodgan Novytskyi/Iurii Kondratiiev (UKR/UKR), Mitsubishi, +10h 20m 01s

Links:    Volkswagen Motorsport –    Silk Way Rally –     YouTube Videos

[Show as slideshow]

Wolfsburg (24 August 2009). Successful test run for the Dakar Rally in Argentina and Chile: Volkswagen prepared for the desert classic from 02 to 17 January 2010 in South America with two-week tests in Morocco. Until 21 August the four “Dakar” duos of the Wolfsburg-based automobile manufacturer tested around the cities of M’hamid and Erfoud. The driver/co-driver pairings Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) and Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) were the duos used in the endurance tests which included two daily long runs. During the tests the “Dakar” winning team from January 2009 smoothly completed over 7,000 kilometres on simulated special stages.

“Morocco is an ideal location to prepare for the Dakar Rally,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Here, the gruelling conditions of the kind we’ll find in the Atacama
desert in the north of Chile can be perfectly simulated. The Sahara desert not only offers plenty of soft sand but also extremely hot temperatures. In addition, it is possible in Morocco to get attuned to the gravel stages of the ‘Dakar’. The Race Touareg ran perfectly again. With 7,000 kilometres of simulated special stages we even surpassed our expectations.”

Two Race Touareg vehicles used for various tasks

Two Volkswagen Race Touareg vehicles were used in the tests. One of the two 280-hp cross-country rally prototypes powered by TDI diesel engines was available to the drivers for the endurance tests, while the second one was used strictly for short set-up runs. The Race Touareg used for the long runs completed the 7,000 kilometres – equalling one and a half times the distance of the special stages during the Dakar Rally – without the slightest problems.

The countdown to the “Dakar”, which starts on 02 January in Buenos Aires and finishes at the same location 15 days later, is already running: Volkswagen will prepare for the title defence project in the off-road classic by participating in another competition. From 05 to 13 September the factory team from Wolfsburg will contest the Silk Way Rally through the Russian Republic of Tatarstan as well as through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, which is organised by “Dakar” organiser A.S.O. and – thanks to its 4,500-kilometre distance through vast steppes and deserts – is considered a small “Dakar” as well.

In June, Volkswagen successfully competed in the Rallye dos Sertões through Brazil and celebrated a one-two win there with Carlos Sainz and Nasser Al-Attiyah.

Volkswagen celebrates one-two win at “little Dakar” in Brazil

Wolfsburg (03 July 2009). Ten out of ten possible stage wins, four lead changes and a captivating duel: Volkswagen decided the Rallye dos Sertões in Brazil in their favour with a one-two win and thus took the first successful step in the title defence the brand targets at the Dakar Rally in January 2010. The all-Spanish factory duo in the Race Touareg, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz Senra, secured third place on the final stage of the rally regarded as the toughest and longest cross-country after the legendary “Dakar” and thus clinched overall victory. On the tenth and last special stage between Caicó and Natal, which covered 85 kilometres of narrow gravel tracks and sandy sections, Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) took the stage win and finished as the overall runners-up, just 1m 09s behind Sainz/Cruz Senra. The team-internal duel for stage victories ended in a score of 6:4 for the newly formed duo Al-Attiyah/Gottschalk. The Brazilian pairing Maurício Neves/Eduardo Bampi in another 280-hp diesel prototype from Wolfsburg finished the rally in sixth place overall.

Carlos Sainz vs. Nasser Al-Attiyah: nail-biting duel for the top position

Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz Senra and Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk delivered a nail-biting duel for victory to the countless cheering spectators of the Rallye dos Sertões, who enthusiastically welcomed the “Blue Frogs” – as the “Dakar” winning cars are affectionately nicknamed by the Brazilian fans due to their uncompromising off-road-capable shape – every day in the towns where the stages finished. In the well-balanced fight between the two new pairings who have been put together for the next Dakar Rally the largest gap during the rally was just a little more than ten minutes, and on the eighth day of the rally a mere three seconds. The Volkswagen duos took turns leading the event a total of four times.

Ideal “Dakar” preparation: toughest cross-country rally after the off-road classic

The track profile of the 17th edition of the Rallye dos Sertões made maximum demands on man and machine on the 5,036-kilometre route from the start in Goiânia to the finish in Natal. Extremely narrow gravel trails along farm roads alternated with washed-out trial passages and sections with deep, soft sand. The rally featured very quick as well as slow special stages. For Volkswagen, it was an ideal test for the Dakar Rally in January 2010, which will again be held in Argentina and Chile. Unlike at the “Dakar”, there was no day of rest scheduled during the ten-day rally. Consequently, the “Sertões” was a serious test for the entire team, from the drivers and co-drivers to the mechanics, in terms of technology, logistics and endurance. The “Sertões” also included numerous water passages which posed additional challenges during the cross-country rally through Brazil.

Besides the Rallye dos Sertões the Silk-Way-Rallye from 05 to 13 September – organised by “Dakar” organiser A.S.O. – through the Russian republic of Tatarstan as well as through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan is part of the preparation for the 2010 “Dakar”.

Pressure test in team-internal duel: new duos prove themselves in Brazil

At their first joint performances both “Dakar” pairings, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz Senra as well as Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk, demonstrated why they were signed for the Volkswagen brand’s “Dakar” programme. Nasser Al-Attiyah, the personable driver from Qatar, competed for the first time together with his German co-driver Timo Gottschalk and – with stage wins during the first six days of the rally – delivered a strong showing as a new team member. Carlos Sainz shared the cockpit of the 280-hp Race Touareg for the first time with Lucas Cruz Senra. This combination worked successfully as well. As early as on the second leg the all-Spanish duo was victorious and captured the lead on the penultimate leg of the 2009 “Sertões”.

Brazilian duo in sixth place overall despite setbacks

The Brazilian duo Maurício Neves/Eduardo Bampi in a third factory-fielded and factory-prepared Volkswagen Race Touareg finished sixth overall despite smaller setbacks. The local heroes were struck by misfortune as early as on the second day of the “Sertões”. A motorcycle rider obstructed them on one of the numerous narrow wooden bridges. While passing the rider Neves/Bampi damaged their rear suspension. Despite a gap of several hours they subsequently moved forwards in the overall standings by clinching a total of seven top-three stage finishes – including three second and four third places.

Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)
“If I could award a maximum of five stars for perfect work I’d give each and every team member exactly five stars. The one-two victory here in Brazil can be credited equally to the team and the drivers. The work of the entire crew was perfect, just as it was at the Dakar Rally. The outstanding job by Carlos Sainz, Nasser Al-Attiyah and their co-drivers makes me just as optimistic about the future. Both would have deserved victory and, in the end, were separated by just a few minutes after a tough fight. The Brazilian pairing Maurício Neves and Eduardo Bampi, without a lot of experience in the car, did a great job as well. I’m proud of the entire squad.”

#301 – Carlos Sainz (E), 3rd place leg / 1st place overall
“A victory that makes me very happy, clinched after a hard fight. The ‘Sertões’ was truly a challenge for us drivers. The special stages were long and extremely demanding, the terrain exceptional varied, and a continuous change of rhythm demanded full concentration. For me and my co-driver Lucas Cruz Senra it was a good test to get used to each other in the cockpit in competitive conditions. I think we definitely achieved this. That we won our first joint rally against such strong team-internal rivals was the icing on the cake.”

#301 – Lucas Cruz Senra (E), co-driver
“When you first join a team there’s an incredible number of influences to deal with. You’ve got to familiarise yourself with new team colleagues, new technicians, new engineers and, in particular, a new driver in every detailed aspect in order to be able to deliver a top performance. That I managed to do this with a victory straight away in my maiden race with Carlos Sainz makes me feel proud. Especially because the ‘Sertões’ is the longest and toughest rally after the ‘Dakar’. In some sections it was even tougher.”

#302 – Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), 1st place leg / 2nd place overall
“The Rallye dos Sertões was my first competition with Volkswagen and I’m more than happy with the result. Everyone in the team works in a highly professional manner; the technical crew members love their jobs and give everything to achieve success. I need to thank them because they made it possible for me to make such a great debut with material that was always one-hundred-percent right. Thanks to the team spirit and my co-driver Timo Gottschalk, with whom I got on perfectly from the outset, I’m sure that I’ll be able to make my dream of winning the ‘Dakar’ come true.”

#302 – Timo Gottschalk (D), co-driver
“Quite honestly: Before the ‘Sertões’ almost none of us thought that the rally would be this tough. It was a really competitive test for Volkswagen to prepare for the Dakar Rally in January and it showed that it’s regarded as the second-toughest and second-longest cross-country of the world for good reason. The communication with Nasser Al-Attiyah in the cockpit worked smoothly just about from the start. The ‘Sertões’ offered the optimum opportunity for us to get accustomed to each other.”

#309 – Maurício Neves (BR), 2nd place leg / 6th place overall
“To compete in such a professional and well organised team as the Volkswagen team was like entering a new world for me. Every day we learned more about the car and the way the team works. We were able to always fully concentrate on our job. Unfortunately, a few mistakes repeatedly set us back somewhat, so we weren’t able to fully meet our own expectations. Nevertheless, contesting the ‘Sertões’ with Volkswagen has made a dream come true for us.”

#309 – Eduardo Bampi (BR), co-driver
“The Rallye dos Sertões in 2009 had everything a cross-country rally stands for. All sorts of terrain were included: stones, gravel, sand, mud or water passages. To have the chance to contest this event with the world’s best off-road vehicle was a great honour for us. And we’re proud of that. If I could pick a place and time to be at, I’d choose exactly the place and time we’re at right now.”

Number of the day The Rallye dos Sertões was also a technical preparation for Volkswagen for the “Dakar” which, among other things, confronts the contenders with extreme altitudes due to two crossings of the Andes. On the fifth day of the rally the sensors controlling the engine electronics in the Race Touareg logged an ambient pressure of 872 mbar, which corresponds to the pressure at an altitude of about 1,400 metres.

Tentative final standings after Leg 10, Caicó (RN) – Natal (RN)
85 km/340 km SS 11+12/overall

Pos. Team, Vehicles, Leg 10, Total time
1 Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz Senra (E/E), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2, 1h 06m 38.7s (3), 29h 16m 40.1s
2 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2, 1h 03m 55.1s (1), + 1m 09. 4s
3 Jean Azevedo/Youssef Haddad (BR/BR), Mitsubishi L200, 1h 19m 37.0 (14), + 3h 53m 02.7
4 Roberto Reijers/Marcos Almeida (BR/BR), Ford Ranger, 1h 22m 11.2 (12), + 5h 35m 21.6
5 Felipe Bibas/Emerson Cavassi (BR/BR), Mitsubishi L200, 1h 16m 38.3 (9), + 5h 51m 53.2
6 Maurício Neves/Eduardo Bampi (BR/BR), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2, 1h 04m 24.6 (2), + 6h 00m 00.2
7 Luiz Facco/Silvio Deusdara (BR/BR), Mitsubishi L200, 1h 22m 43.3 (16), + 6h 21m 29.3
8 Richard Vaders/A. Spacassassi (BR/BR), Sherpa, 1h 14m 50.9 (7), + 7h 47m 26.1
9 Jarbas de Castro/W. von Schmidt (BR/BR), Sherpa 1h 17m 29.3 (11), + 7h 51m 19.6
10 Romeu Franciosi/Deco Muniz (BR/BR), Sherpa, 1h 14m 13.2 (6), + 9h 00m 00.8

Provinces GO: Goiás; TO: Tocatins; BA: Bahia; PE: Pernambuco; CE: Ceara; RN: Rio Grande do Norte

Volkswagen Motorsport public website: www.volkswagen-motorsport.com

Rallye dos Sertões information: www.dunas.com.br/ing

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Dakar Rally – two weeks after the event

Giniel de Villiers (ZA) and Dirk von Zitzewitz (D) during 2009 Dakar

Wolfsburg (30 January 2009). The first victory of a diesel-powered prototype at the Dakar Rally two weeks ago marked a two-fold triumph for Volkswagen. Giniel de Villiers (ZA) and Dirk von Zitzewitz (D) won the debut event of the off-road classic in South America ahead of their team-mates Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA). A sixth-place finish was achieved by the Germans Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk in a further Volkswagen Race Touareg. The toughest of all rallies caused a sensation around the world. From its adventurous aspect to spectator response, here are some facts and figures on the 2009 “Dakar”.

Did you know that …

… the Dakar Rally was truly a resounding spectator success? Over 500,000 fans flocked just to the ceremonial start in Buenos Aires. Overall, the number of fans who accompanied the “Dakar” along the rally routes is estimated to amount to more than two million.

… the number of TV viewers tuning into the event was a success for the Dakar Rally as well? The fascinating pictures of the first South American “Dakar” were aired in 189 countries. The European sports channel “Eurosport” broadcast 48 hours of Dakar Rally coverage, reaching 33 million spectators. German TV stations aired more than ten hours of “Dakar” pictures, watched by 140 million viewers. 80 million people tuned into “Dakar” coverage just on RTL.

… the data of the engineers for Carlos Sainz revealed an average accelerator pedal position of 81 per cent? His longest stretch without “lifting”: 9.91 kilometres.

… the first victory of a diesel-powered prototype at the Dakar Rally clinched by the Race Touareg also marked Volkswagen’s tenth outright exploit in cross-country rally racing since 2004?

… 89 out of 184 possible stage victories since the Race Touareg program was launched in 2004 went to Wolfsburg?

… the highest elevation of the Dakar Rally was reached on the eleventh leg from Copiapó to Fiambalá? While crossing the San Franzisco pass, the contenders ascended to a height of 4,726 metres.

… the total time set by Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz at the “Dakar” – 48h10m57s – could have even been a few seconds better? On the tenth special stage, a loop around the Chilenean desert town of Copiapó, an armadillo crossed their path. More than likely, the mammal was more shocked about the encounter than the two subsequent “Dakar” winners.

… the competitive balance in the Volkswagen factory was particularly high in 2009? 24 out of 39 possible top-three positions on the individual stages were scored by Volkswagen. On average, 4m27.30s separated the best and the second-best contenders from Wolfsburg on the special stages. The smallest gap: 20 seconds – between de Villiers/von Zitzewitz und Miller/Pitchford on leg six.

…the average driving time of Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz on the special stages was 3h42m38s? Added to this were the liaison stages before and after the specials. For comparison: The contender who reached the finish after the longest driving time spent 11h52m43s hours in the car every day – also plus the liaison legs.

… Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz, Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford and Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk completed 4,330 timed kilometres on the 13 classified special stages? This equates to about 50 percent of the total distance of these 13 legs.

… “Dakar” winner Dirk von Zitzewitz used eight different colours to mark his roadboak and spent an average of three hours preparing it?

… Dirk von Zitzewitz and Giniel de Villiers can also communicate in German in the cockpit if necessary? Giniel de Villiers’ mother tongue is Afrikaans, which has its origins in the Dutch language. Phonetically, “left” and “right” are identical to German.

… the communication inside the cockpit between the two “Dakar” winners on one occasion was not enough to achieve the purpose? On the extremely rough and crucial twelfth leg Dirk von Zitzewitz pointed the way to his driver by running in front of the car through a field of scree – one of the keys to their triumph.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Jan. 26, 2009 –Competing with new BFGoodrich® All-Terrain tires, Volkswagen Race Touareg driver Giniel De Villiers scored the first Dakar win of his career last weekend in Buenos Aires. The South African’s American teammate Mark Miller followed him across the line to hand the Volkswagen team a resounding one-two finish at the first Dakar to take place in South America. For cross-country rally racing’s benchmark tire brand – BFGoodrich Tires – this year’s result takes its total score to nine Dakar wins.

After taking command two stages from home, Giniel de Villiers claimed the 14th and final stage of the 2009 Dakar to put the seal on his first win on the world’s most punishing cross-country rally event, which was hosted for the first time in Argentina and Chile. The South African completed the distance with a lead of 8 minutes 59 seconds over his USA-based teammate Mark Miller, and 1 hour 46 minutes 15 seconds clear of another American stalwart, Robby Gordon (Hummer), who joined the Volkswagen/BFGoodrich Tires pair on the podium.

The German squad, which fielded a line-up of four race Touaregs, all competing on BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires dominated the 2009 Dakar from nearly start to finish, winning 10 of the 13 stages. The team’s Carlos Sainz (VW/BFGoodrich Tires) topped the leader board for the week but his hopes were all but lost when he crashed out on SS12.

The All-Terrain tire – which BFGoodrich Tires developed for its partner teams VW, BMW and Mitsubishi – proved extremely competitive over the event’s exceptionally varied terrain, which ranged from smooth, fast-flowing tracks to towering dunes. While making its Dakar debut in the hands of BMW’s and Volkswagen’s factory crews, the new tire won every stage but one. The only exception was yesterday’s penultimate test which saw victory go to the BFGoodrich Tires Rock T/A tire.

The new All-Terrain tire was used competitively for the first time in 2008 and has been designed to deliver improved dune-crossing ability, plus enhanced resistance to wear. Volkswagen and BMW both nominated the newcomer for the Dakar, while front-running privateers Tollefsen from Norway and Poland’s Holowczyc were given the chance to use the All-Terrain tire during the second half of the event, which notably featured the awesome dunes of the Atacama Desert. Both drivers went on to finish the rally inside the top-five overall.

Quotes from Dakar:

Giniel de Villiers (1st, VW/BFGoodrich Tires)

“I would like to say a big thank you to BFGoodrich Tires for having developed the All-Terrain tire. It performed outstandingly in the Atacama Desert and over the sandy northernmost Argentine stages, especially SS12, which will go down as one of the toughest I have ever come across in my entire career. Some of the dunes were just gigantic. Thanks to the BFGoodrich All-Terrain tire, we succeeded in climbing them without being stuck and, in most cases, without having to stop to reduce our tire pressures. Even on the longest stages, we did not have a single problem with wear and we picked up very few punctures during the event, despite the huge rocks, we were occasionally forced to clamber over. The team’s decision to nominate a slightly ‘re-cut’ version of the All-Terrain tire, with a small change to the tread pattern to improve the car’s handling on those stages which had a loose top-coating of gravel, turned out to be the ideal choice…”

Mark Miller (2nd, VW/BFGoodrich Tires)

“It’s been a fantastic rally; a real Dakar, and even tougher than Africa. The terrain was incredibly varied but our All-Terrain tires took everything in their stride. I really only had one puncture, and that was after swiping a rock hard. One puncture after more than 5,000km of stages is a truly exceptional achievement.”

Dominique Serieys (Mitsubishi Team Manager)

“Before the start, we opted to nominate the BFGoodrich Rock T/A tire for our four Mitsubishi Racing Lancers competing on this year’s Dakar. That was the drivers’ preference and we take full responsibility for the decision. As it turned out, though, it was actually perhaps the best choice for us given where we stand with the development of our new car. We will continue to work closely with our partner BFGoodrich Tires in the course of 2009 as we start to turn our attention to the 2010 Dakar.”

Dominique Bravy (BFGoodrich Tires Technician)

“The BFGoodrich Tires All-Terrain tire has been unanimously acclaimed by all our driver-partners who ran this new product on what turned out to be an exceptionally difficult Dakar as far as tires were concerned. The weather was hotter than we were accustomed to in Africa and the combination of the high average speeds of the early part of the rally, plus the trials that followed and the towering dunes, which marked the second week, made this event a unique challenge. We had always been hoping for victory, of course, but the bottom line of the past two weeks in South America is extremely positive for BFGoodrich Tires. The All-Terrain tire turned out to be durable and highly competitive over sand, while at the same time delivering a more comfortable ride for the crews. In addition to our overall success, BFGoodrich Tires claimed victory in the T2 category, too, thanks to Nicolas Gibon whose Toyota was equipped with the new BFGoodrich Tires Mud-Terrain.”

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 30 years, BFGoodrich Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally, and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires online at www.bfgoodrichtires.com.