On Sunday, 1 January 2023, OYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) began defending its Dakar title with a difficult stage situated to the south of the rally’s so-called Sea Camp, the largest bivouac in the rally’s 45-year history. Stage 1 saw defending champions Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel cling onto a two-minute gap for the majority of the stage until setting the sixth-fastest time in their modified GR DKR Hilux T1+, although suffering some navigational difficulties towards the finish of the stage. This put them 7 minutes and 17 seconds off the lead.
The champions began their rally by posting the fourth quickest time in the Prologue, which was held on the final day of the year 2022 to establish the starting order for the first stage. After the top 10 finishers in the Prologue determined their starting places, Nasser and Mathieu were the seventh vehicle to begin the stage.
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING NAVIGATION COMPLICATIONS
The TGR crew set a steady pace in the opening kilometers of the stage, gaining their bearings. A tough navigational part near the finish of the stage unfortunately cost them some time. They persevered and were rewarded with sixth place for their efforts.
Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings began their journey with a literal bang. The victors of two stages in the Dakar 2022 Prologue finished in tenth place, requiring them to open the route for the first stage. They had only begun the stage when a low-hanging branch cracked their car’s windshield, drastically reducing their vision.
TGR navigational problems
A tough navigational part near the finish of the stage unfortunately cost them some time. Photograph by Toyota South Africa
They drove with a cracked windshield until a puncture 29 kilometers into the stage. The halt allowed them to remove the windscreen and don goggles, which they were required to wear for the remainder of the 367-kilometer stage, which began near Sea Camp and ended 193 kilometers south of the bivouac.
The TGR team recorded the eleventh-fastest time, 11 minutes and 45 seconds behind the leaders, despite the difficulty of opening the route, sustaining a puncture, and driving without a windshield. At Stage 2, they will strive for a flawless performance in the hopes of bettering their current standing.
Not only did Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy suffer a puncture mid-stage, but they also struggled with navigation. Their performance on the opening stage placed them in the 18th position for the day, 18 minutes and 31 seconds behind the stage winners. The 2009 rally champion and his co-driver will exert great effort on Stage 2 to maintain contact with the leading group.
TGR on Dakar Stage 1
Not only did Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy suffer a puncture mid-stage, but they also struggled with navigation. Image courtesy Toyota South Africa DAKAR
Stage 2 will also mark the first time in five days that the Dakar Rally will leave its base in Sea Camp, as the event heads to the gorges of Alula, to the northeast of its starting location. The day will begin with a liaison of 159 km, followed by a timed segment of 430 km, and will conclude just 1 kilometer from the next bivouac. The second stage will feature additional sandy trails, a few dunes, and rocky traverses.
Dakar 2023 is slated to conclude in Dammam on January 15, 2023. In between are thirteen more stages, across the Saudi terrain and into the so-called Empty Quarter, where a sea of dunes will greet the racers.
QUOTES: “Overall, we had a decent day today. All three vehicles performed admirably, and if not for a few punctures and navigational challenges, which are common in rally-raid competitions, we would have finished in the positions we anticipated. As it stands, Henk and Brett handled a pretty complex problem quite successfully today, and tomorrow should be much simpler. Regarding Nasser, he is ideally positioned for Stage 2.”
Glyn Hall, TGR Dakar Team Principal, stated, “The start of this year’s Dakar was not easy. We got a little lost around 40 kilometers from the finish, so we lost some time, but at least the first stage is over. Let’s see what we can do throughout Stage 2.”
Unfortunately, this was not a fantastic platform for us. We got a puncture early on, and since we only carry two spares, I had to take it a bit easier over the numerous rocky sections. In addition, we had to do numerous U-turns to search for waypoints. However, we will have to try again tomorrow.”
Giniel de Villiers
“It was an interesting day for us, as we opened the stage, collided with a tree branch, and dealt with a flat tire. However, I believe we managed the situation well, and despite losing quite a bit of time today, I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s stage.”
Henk Lategan DAKAR 2023: Stage 1 Results:
POS. N° CREW TEAM TIME VARIATION PENALITY 1 207 (ESP) CARLOS SAINZ(ESP) LUCAS CRUZ TEAM AUDI SPORT 03H 28′ 55″ 2 201 (FRA) SEBASTIEN LOEB(BEL) FABIAN LURQUIN BAHRAIN RAID XTREME 03H 29′ 05” + 00H 00′ 10” s3 202 (SAU) (SAU) YAZEED AL RAJHI (DEU) DIRK VON ZITZEWITZ OVERDRIVE RACING 03H 30′ 56″ + 00′ 02′ 01″ 03H 30′ 58” + 00H 02′ 03” 00H 01′ 00” s5 208 (ARG) (ARG) ORLANDO TERRANOVA(ESP) ALEX HARO BRAVO BAHRAIN RAID XTREME 03H 36′ 00″ + 00′ 07′ 05″ DKR Hilux T1+ 03H 36′ 12″ + 00H 07′ 17″ 00H 00′ 10″ 7 216 (ZAF) BRIAN BARAGWANATH(ZAF) LEONARD CREMER CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM 03H 36′ 46″ + 00H 07′ 51″ 00H 01′ 00″ 8 204 (FRA) STÉPHANE PETERHANSEL(FRA) EDOUARD BOULANGER TEAM 9 203 (Poland) JAKUB PRZYGONSKI(Spain) ARMAND MONLEON X-RAID MINI JCW TEAM AUDI SPORT 03H 37′ 46″ + 00H 08′ 51″ 03H 37′ 49″ + 00H 08′ 54″ 10 213 (LTU) VAIDOTAS ZALA(PRT) PAULO FIUZA TELTONIKA RACING. 03H 39′ 52” + 00H 10′ 57”
11 217 (ZAF) HENK LATEGAN(ZAF) BRETT CUMMINGS
TOYOTA GAZOO RACINGGR DKR Hilux T1+ 03H 40′ 40″ + 00H 11′ 45″
18 205 (ZAF) GINIEL DE VILLIERS(ZAF) DENNIS MURPHY
TOYOTA GAZOO RACINGGR DKR Hilux T1+ 03H 47′ 26″ + 00H 18′ 31″ 00H 02′ 00″
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s partnerships with Red Bull, Kinto, Eurol, and the Innovation Group are mutually beneficial. Hallspeed, SKF, Spanjaard, Edgecam, Supreme Springs, Shatterprufe, Smith’s Manufacturing, Oakley, Lumotech, OMP, MSA, SACCS, and the FIA also support the team. Also, many thanks to Ingco, Jonsson Workwear, and USN for their assistance.
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