Toyota Gazoo Racing SA's Al Attiyah / Baumel takes the lead in Peru News
- 5 years ago
The Dakar Rally is known for the twists and turns it dishes up every year, and Stage 3 of the 2019 Event delivered its fair share. On the positive side, Toyota Gazoo Racing SA’s Nasser Al Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel drove a near-perfect stage to post the second-fastest time on the day, and take over the overall lead of the rally.
Al Attiyah / Baumel finished the 331 km-long stage just 03:26 behind winners MINI’s Stephane Peterhansel and navigator David Castera, who completed the dune-laden test in 03:54:31. It was a stunning performance by the Qatari master, and clearly showed the power of the Toyota Hilux in the thick Peruvian sand.
“The stage today was extremely difficult,” said Al Attiyah after reaching the bivouac in the Peruvian town of Arequipa, some 460 km from the finish of the stage. “We crossed many big dunes, and in my experience, this was one of the toughest stages I’ve seen on the Dakar.”
The stage certainly proved to be a tough one for Toyota Gazoo Racing SA’s Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz. The pair set good times early in the stage, but disaster stuck near the 172 km-mark when they hit a rock (hidden in loose sand). The impact destroyed the sump guard of the Toyota Hilux, and cracked the sump. As a result, they lost all oil pressure, and were forced to stop in order to save the engine.
Al Attiyah / Baumel finished the 331 km-long stage just 03:26 behind winners MINI’s Stephane Peterhansel and navigator David Castera, who completed the dune-laden test in 03:54:31. It was a stunning performance by the Qatari master, and clearly showed the power of the Toyota Hilux in the thick Peruvian sand.
“The stage today was extremely difficult,” said Al Attiyah after reaching the bivouac in the Peruvian town of Arequipa, some 460 km from the finish of the stage. “We crossed many big dunes, and in my experience, this was one of the toughest stages I’ve seen on the Dakar.”
The stage certainly proved to be a tough one for Toyota Gazoo Racing SA’s Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz. The pair set good times early in the stage, but disaster stuck near the 172 km-mark when they hit a rock (hidden in loose sand). The impact destroyed the sump guard of the Toyota Hilux, and cracked the sump. As a result, they lost all oil pressure, and were forced to stop in order to save the engine.