Dakar | Mitchel on the Podium!
The final stage of the 2024 Dakar Rally has concluded! Today, the drivers tackled a challenging 175 km stretch through rocky terrain, culminating in a stunning finish along...
4 de maio
In their Toyota Hilux, Bernhard ten Brinke and Tom Colsoul rode a large part of the eighth Dakar stage together with the fastest four drivers in the car classification. Although troubled by minor problems along the way, the Toyota team finished the special over 477 km in a good seventh place, 10 minutes and 19 seconds from the day winner. "Just like yesterday we went very fast on some parts, but today we had to go through another type of dune. Heavier and more difficult ones, "says Bernhard ten Brinke. At the finish a stone appeared to have hit an oil pipe, causing the factory Totota to lose its precious Eurol engine oil. Bernhard ten Brinke: "To avoid any risks, Giniel De Villiers towed us to the bivouac. It characterises the team spirit at Toyota GAZOO Racing."
In the truck classification Riwald's Pascal de Baar again was the fastest Dutchman. Today he finished just outside the Top 10. This result once again shows how incredibly fast is being driven in this class. Gert Huzink and navigator Rob Buursen drove the stage together again, with the absence of their mechanic Martin Roesink. As a result, driving the stages mainly remains a matter of cautious driving for them. For Martin van den Brink of Mammoet Rallysport it was a difficult day. After a couple of good results in the last few days, the upward trend was roughly broken down by a technical problem in the driveline. At the time of writing they are still in the dunes, but they are working hard to try to get the truck going again.
Kees Koolen arrived in eighth place today, a fantastic ranking just 19 minutes from stage winner Varela. Going much faster remains difficult, because the SuperB Can Am has its limitations. Koolen about that yesterday: "On the straights we ride as fast as the belt (of the variomatic) allows, up to 110-111 degrees Celcius. From 113 it breaks. That means we drive large parts at 40-50% of the throttle position".
Peter van Merksteijn had a great day in a great twelfth place, his best result so far. Tim & Tom Coronel secured another finish well before dark. Great news, you might think, but yesterday the twins said they find those days a bit boring, although they raced "flat out" over the fast stage with The Beast.
The final stage of the 2024 Dakar Rally has concluded! Today, the drivers tackled a challenging 175 km stretch through rocky terrain, culminating in a stunning finish along...
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The final stage of the 2024 Dakar Rally has concluded! Today, the drivers tackled a challenging 175 km stretch through rocky terrain, culminating in a stunning finish along...
Toyota GAZOO Racing has become world champion in the Rally-Raid discipline for the second consecutive year.
Dakar 2023 winners, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel, are ready for action at the upcoming Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC). This rally...
Nasser Al-Attiyah has taken his 5th Dakar Rally win after a dominant performance in Saudi-Arabia. Martin van den Brink did the Eurol Rallysport crew proud with a personal b...