TOYOTA GAZOO Racing CONSOLIDATES POSITION AS DAKAR 2021 REACHES MID-POINT
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is in a competitive position as the 2021 Dakar Rally reaches its mid-point Rest Day at Ha’il after the first week of competition. The sixth stage brought the rally from the town of Al Qaisumah to the city of Ha’il via a timed section that was shortened to 347 kilometres to accommodate late arriving competitors from the previous stage. Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel, the leading Toyota Hilux in the overall standings, finished the stage in third place, and retained their second position overall, slightly reducing their gap to the lead to 5min 53sec. Giniel de Villiers and Alex Haro opened the road after their win on Stage 5, but they lost 22min 20sec due to continued pain Giniel is experiencing with his neck as well as two punctures. Despite this, the pair moved up into top 10 in the overall standings. Stage 6 brought another solid result for Shameer Variawa and Dennis Murphy, who finished in 16th on the stage, and moved to 32nd in the overall standings.
The 2021 edition of the Dakar Rally started with a Prologue on January 2 to determine starting positions on the outskirts of Jeddah. Nasser and Mathieu placed their Toyota Hilux in the best possible start position for Stage 1 after finishing fastest on the 11-kilometre route. Dakar debutant Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings demonstrated their capabilities and would start their first Dakar Rally together in seventh position. Giniel and Alex encountered a throttle response problem at the start of the Prologue and finished in 18th position, while teammates Shameer Variawa and Dennis Murphy came in 26th.
Giniel and Alex were the best-performing TOYOTA GAZOO Racing crew with an eighth place finish after the 277-kilometre opening stage from Jeddah to Bisha, suffering three punctures that cost them valuable time. Prologue winners, Nasser and Mathieu, found it tough to open the route and lost 12min 34sec to the leaders, completing the first day in 10th place. Shameer and Dennis, who started from the 26th position on the road, put in a solid performance to finish the opening stage in 12th, 14min 59sec adrift of the leaders. The challenging first stage saw Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings lose 18min 31sec to the leaders, posting the 14th-fastest time. They suffered multiple punctures and found the navigation tough, but were in a good position for Stage 2, which featured a timed section of 457 kilometres between Bisha and Wadi Ad-Dawasir.
Winners of the 2019 Dakar Rally, Nasser and Mathieu, recorded their first stage win of the 2021 event by posting the fastest time on Stage 2. The strong stage result propelled them into third position in the overall standings, 9min 14sec behind the lead. After a good performance on the opening stage, Giniel and Alex lost more than 45 minutes due to navigational difficulties, completing the stage in 38th place. To make matters worse, the pair were penalised for missing a waypoint and ended in 23rd overall after Stage 2. Henk and Brett finished Stage 2 in 14th despite losing time after getting stuck in the dunes at the start of the stage. They lost additional time due to navigational problems and were in 16th position in the overall standings at that point. Shameer and Dennis lost over two hours on Stage 2 after getting severely stuck in the soft dunes near the start of the timed section.
Nasser and Mathieu recorded their second consecutive stage win when they powered their Toyota Hilux to the fastest time over 403 kilometres of dunes and sandy tracks that made up Stage 3 of the event, a loop starting and ending in Wadi Ad-Dawasir. The strong performance moved them into second position in the overall standings, just over five minutes behind the lead. Newcomer Henk and navigator Brett drove a perfect stage to record the second fastest time, trailing teammates Nasser and Mathieu by just 2min 27sec. The impressive performance rocketed the pair to seventh position overall as the leading rookie crew, 47min 25sec from the lead. Dakar veteran Giniel and navigator Alex started the day as the 17th car into the stage which brought more challenges for the embattled crew. Having lost more than two hours on the previous day, the pair suffered a broken driveshaft early on in Stage 3, which not only cost them time for repairs, but dropped them into the dust of slower competitors. Two punctures added to their woes, losing 37min 47sec. Shameer and Dennis also suffered a broken driveshaft early on, followed by five punctures, costing the crew more than two hours but they improved to 44th place overall.
Stage 4 of Dakar 2021 brought a third consecutive stage win for Nasser and Mathieu after they beat their closest competitor by 11sec over the 337-kilometre timed section between Wadi Ad-Dawasir and the Saudi capital Riyadh. The pair, second in the overall standings, reduced their gap to the overall lead to under five minutes despite their position as pathfinder at the head of the field. Henk and Brett pushed teammate Nasser throughout the day, even beating the Qatari through some waypoints. Henk showed maturity and skill to finish third on the stage, trailing Nasser by just 1min 30sec and moving up into fourth place in the overall standings. Giniel and navigator Alex initially looked on course for a solid result on Stage 4, but Giniel suffered from neck pains and had to reduce speed in the rough sections. They also lost time towards the end of the stage due to a navigational error to finish 15th. Shameer and navigator Dennis recorded a solid performance on Stage 4 despite starting down the order, and in the dust of trucks and slower competitors. The pair lost some time due to a navigational error near the end of the stage to improve to 43rd in the overall standings.
Opening the route once again on Stage 5, Nasser and Mathieu completed the 456-kilometre Riyadh to Al Qaisumah stage fourth fastest. The pair were able to limit their time loss to the leader, remaining in second position overall, 6min 11sec from the lead. Giniel, together with navigator Alex, mounted an impressive comeback after several challenging days to win Stage 5. Giniel and Alex were the 22nd car into the stage and made the most of this road position to win the stage by nearly a minute, leapfrogging from 22nd to 12th in the overall standings. Henk and Brett, who impressed on Stages 3 and 4, suffered an accident at the 19-kilometre mark after striking a ditch which sent their Hilux flipping end-over-end. Both were able to exit their Hilux, which came to rest on its side, unaided, and did not suffer serious injuries. After an initial medical check by the Dakar 2021 medical team, Henk was transported to Riyadh for further medical attention for his shoulder. As a result, the crew of no. 332 retired from Dakar 2021, bringing an end to the fairy tale debut for the young driver. Stage 5 also saw Shameer and Dennis record another solid stage, even though they started down the order again which placed them in the dust of competitors. They finished as the 28th car on the stage and improved their overall position from 43rd place to 38th, despite suffering two punctures and dealing with limited engine power that hampered their progress in the dunes.
With the Dakar Rally at its mid-point, the technical crews will now disassemble all three race cars before repairing or replacing any worn parts, and reassembling the cars in preparation for Stage 7. Following the Rest Day, crews will go straight into the Marathon Stage of Dakar 2021 which will see them journey from Ha’il to Sakaka on a gruelling 471-kilometre route over sand mountains and 100 kilometres of undulating terrain. Crews will have to service their own vehicles without assistance from the technical crews before taking on Stage 8 from Sakaka to Neom, where 375 kilometres of sandy terrain and stony tracks await. After the Marathon Stage, there will be a further four stages before Dakar 2021 concludes back in Jeddah on January 15.
Glyn Hall, Team Principal: “Today really was quite a good day for the team. Nasser was able to take some time off Stéphane Peterhansel but a puncture near the end probably lost him most of the time he had gained earlier in the stage. Giniel had two punctures, but his biggest problem was his neck which is still causing him much pain. Shameer was good today, despite one puncture. I gave him the target of 15th place in order to set him up for a good position on the Marathon Stage, and he came home in 16th, so I’m very happy with that. We’re happy to have all three cars here and no serious mechanical issues. So, tomorrow we’ll do our normal Rest Day strip-and-prepare to make sure that we’re fully prepared for the final week of the race.”
Nasser Al-Attiyah (No. 301): “Stage 6 was another difficult day, but we’re happy to have finished the first week of Dakar in the second position overall. We had two punctures today which were not easy for us to manage, but we’ll try our best to come up with some good strategies for the next week’s stages and continue to do our best in order to win this Dakar.”
Giniel de Villiers (No. 304): “There was a lot of sand on the stage today with lots of sharp, broken dunes. But, actually, a very nice stage to drive despite the continued neck pains that made it difficult to maintain our pace. We had two punctures which allowed Stéphane Peterhansel, Nasser and Yazeed Al Rajhi to pass us. But from the middle of the stage, Brian Baragwanath and I stuck together and completed the stage in close formation. We would have loved to be in a better position after the first week, but we lost a lot of time early in the rally. It is what it is and we’ll keep on pushing. In this race, a lot of things seems to be happening, so it won’t be over before the finish.”
Shameer Variawa (No. 330): “We started as the 55th vehicle into the stage this morning and we ended up in 16th place at the end of the day, so it was a really good day for us. The terrain suited our style, being both fast and rough. We followed a number of guys through the dunes, then we had a puncture. But once we changed it, we left them behind in the sand. Overall, a good day for us.”
2021 Dakar Rally Stage 6 Results:
3rd No. 301 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Mathieu Baumel, +7min 16sec
8th No. 304 Giniel de Villiers/Alex Haro, +22min 20sec
16th No. 330 Shameer Variawa/Dennis Murphy, +35min 35sec
2021 Dakar Rally Overall Results After Stage 6:
2nd No. 301 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Mathieu Baumel, +5min 53sec
9th No. 304 Giniel de Villiers/Alex Haro, +2hr 12min 12sec
32nd No. 330 Shameer Variawa/Dennis Murphy, +6hr 28min 33sec
FOURTH STAGE WIN FOR TOYOTA GAZOO Racing AT DAKAR 2021
Opening the route once again, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel completed the 456-kilometre Riyadh to Al Qaisumah fourth fastest. The pair were able to limit their time loss to the leader, remaining in second position overall, 6min 11sec from the lead.
Giniel de Villiers, winner of the 2009 Dakar Rally, together with navigator Alex Haro, mounted an impressive comeback after several challenging days to win Stage 5. Giniel and Alex were the 22nd car into the stage and made the most of this road position to win the stage by 58sec, leapfrogging from 22nd to 12th in the overall standings.
Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings, who impressed on Stage 3 and 4, suffered an accident at the 19-kilometre mark after striking a ditch at high speed which sent their Hilux flipping end-over-end. Both were able to exit their Hilux, which came to rest on its side, unaided, and did not suffer serious injuries. After an initial medical check by the Dakar 2021 medical team, Henk was transported to Riyadh for further medical attention for his shoulder. As a result, the crew of No. 332 has retired from Dakar 2021.
Stage 5 also saw Shameer Variawa and Dennis Murphy record another solid stage, even though they started down the order again which placed them in the dust of competitors. They finished as the 28th car on the stage to improve their overall position from 43rd place to 38th, despite suffering two punctures and dealing with limited engine power that hampered their progress in the dunes.
Glyn Hall, Team Principal: “For the team it was and up-and-down day, the highs and lows of Giniel winning the stage with Nasser in fourth, just behind Stéphane Peterhansel to maintain the gap to the lead. But unfortunately, Henk and Brett’s race came to an end today just 19 kilometres in. They were just a few metres off the right line, going just a bit faster than they probably should have been. They hit an eroded ditch and rolled, but the car wasn’t too badly damaged. The biggest problem was that Henk dislocated his shoulder in the crash, which is extremely painful. They had to retire, after a bit of a fairy-tale the last few days. But it is certain that many people will have taken notice of them now and we look forward to more great performances from them in the future.”
Nasser Al-Attiyah (No. 301): “What we did today was fantastic for our race, and I’m quite happy to finish just behind Stéphane Peterhansel. We made a small mistake in the beginning that allowed him to catch up, but then we stuck together for the rest of the stage which puts us in a good road position for tomorrow.”
Giniel de Villiers (No. 304): “Today couldn’t really have gone any better, having won the stage. Alex did a really good job, as the stage was very tricky, especially for the first 70 kilometres. But, we did a good job there and managed to hold it together for the rest of the very difficult, proper Dakar stage. Lots and lots of dunes towards the end, with some sharp drop-offs, but we did okay through them. We just had to manage a slow puncture, but other than that everything was good.”
Shameer Variawa (No. 330): “Today we managed to record a reasonable stage time despite a couple of challenges. We had two punctures in the stage but our engine also had a problem with power delivery. The team will have to check it tonight, but we didn’t have enough power to shift up from first gear in the dunes, which really held us back. All things considered, I am happy with our progress today.”
2021 Dakar Rally Stage 5 Results:
1st No. 301 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Mathieu Baumel, 5hr 9min 25sec
4th No. 304 Giniel de Villiers/Alex Haro, +4min 38sec
28th No. 330 Shameer Variawa/Dennis Murphy, +1hr 4min 29sec
Retired No. 332 Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings
2021 Dakar Rally Overall Results After Stage 5:
2nd No. 301 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Mathieu Baumel, +6min 11sec
12th No. 304 Giniel de Villiers/Alex Haro, +1hr 57min 26sec
38th No. 330 Shameer Variawa/Dennis Murphy, +6hr 0min 32sec
Retired No. 332 Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings
HAT-TRICK OF STAGE WINS FOR TOYOTA GAZOO Racing AT DAKAR 2021
Stage 4 of Dakar 2021 brought a third consecutive stage win for Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel after they beat their closest competitor by 11sec over the 337-kilometre timed section between Wadi Ad-Dawasir and the Saudi capital Riyadh. The pair, currently second in the overall standings, reduced their gap to the overall lead to under five minutes despite their position as the pathfinder at the head of the field.
Dakar rookie Henk Lategan, and navigator Brett Cummings, pushed team mate Nasser throughout the day, even beating the Qatari through some waypoints. Henk showed maturity and skill to finish third on the stage, trailing Nasser by just 1min 30sec and moving up into fourth place in the overall standings.
Dakar veteran Giniel de Villiers and navigator Alex Haro initially looked on course for a solid result on Stage 4 but Giniel suffered from neck pains and had to reduce speed in the rough sections. They also lost time towards the end of the stage due to a navigational error to finish 15th. The pair will look to improve their position over tomorrow’s 456-kilometre Stage 5 from Riyadh to Al Qaisumah.
Shameer Variawa and navigator Dennis Murphy recorded a solid performance on Stage 4 despite starting down the order, and in the dust of trucks and slower competitors. The pair lost some time due to a navigational error near the end of the stage to improve to 43rd in the overall standings.
Glyn Hall, Team Principal: “Another fantastic result for us today with Nasser and Mathieu winning their third stage on the trot. To make it even more impressive, two of those wins came while opening the road, which is no small feat. They’ve really shown why they are rated as one of the top crews in the world and we hope for more of the same from them in the coming days. Henk and Brett again came through with a strong result and were leading the stage overall through some of the waypoints in the middle of the stage. Were it not for a tyre that delaminated near the end, they may well have finished in second place again.”
Nasser Al-Attiyah (No. 301): “I’m very happy to win today’s stage. Winning three of the first four stages is amazing, and to win while opening the road is quite a big thing. We tried to control our pace but it’s tricky to gauge our performance while we are in the stage. If we start further down the order, we’d be able to take more time from our competitors, but for now we’re very happy to be where we are. The Toyota Hilux is working really well, and we’re looking forward to the upcoming stages.”
Giniel de Villiers (No. 304): “I got up this morning with a sore and stiff neck, and it became progressively worse as the stage wore on. I took some pain medication during one of the speed-control zones but it didn’t help much. I was forced to reduce speed in the rough sections and tight corners, but I’m hoping it will get better overnight.”
Henk Lategan (No. 332): “We’re learning quickly, but it’s still not easy. We’re still getting to grips with the navigation but Brett’s doing an excellent job, and we’re communicating much more in the car now to find the best way to get through the stage. Today’s stage was a little bit easier, not quite as rough and hard on the body. But, it’s important not to get comfortable with so many days of racing left. This is a massive race and the next few days are going to be tough ones, especially in two days’ time when we have a really long stage coming up. We needs to keep our focus and stay calm, so we can carry on to the end.”
Shameer Variawa (No. 330): “Today was a better day for us. We had no punctures and only made one small navigational mistake. Other than that, we were only held back by the dust of the slower competitors around us due to our starting position that was down the order, after the trouble we experienced earlier in the race. Now, we’re focusing on the next few stages to the rest day.”
2021 Dakar Rally Day 4 Results:
1st No. 301 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Mathieu Baumel, 2hr 35min 59sec
3rd No. 332 Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings, +1min 30sec
15th No. 304 Giniel de Villiers/Alex Haro, +14min 57sec
32nd No. 330 Shameer Variawa/Dennis Murphy, +28min 26sec
Dakar Rally Overall Results After Stage 4:
1st No. 301 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Mathieu Baumel, +3min 58sec
3rd No. 332 Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings, +47min 44sec
15th No. 304 Giniel de Villiers/Alex Haro, +1hr 59min 51sec
32nd No. 330 Shameer Variawa/Dennis Murphy, +5hr 1min 28sec
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