2017 Dakar Rally – Stage 5: Tupiza – Answer Your Car Auto Questions Here

Media Information

2017 Dakar Rally

06 January 2017

2017 Dakar Rally – Stage 5:
Tupiza – Oruro, shortened from 692 km to 219km

Four MINI cars remain in the top ten overall
Al Rajhi re-joins the 2017 Dakar, subject to appeal
Terranova finishes 8^th in today’s stage, Przygonski in 9^th

Munich. All drivers faced a much shorter route than expected
on Stage 5 of the 2017 Dakar , following a decision by race
organisers to reduce the route from 692 km to 219 km. Poor weather
conditions on the way to the original destination of Oruro meant the
second part of the day’s track was no longer negotiable. Mikko
Hirvonen (FIN) and Michel Perin (FRA) made an exceptional start to
the stage, passing the second waypoint in third position less than
four minutes behind the race leader. However, the pair’s first
mistake in the #303 MINI John Cooper Works Rally car came in the
next section with some navigational difficulty. They finished the
stage in 15^th, pushing them to 5^th overall but
still within reach of the other frontrunners.

Hirvonen: “We got lost, we should have been able to recover better
but then we got lost a second time. It was tricky, for sure, for
everybody today.”

It was a more successful day for the #308 MINI John Cooper Works
Rally of Orlando Terranova (ARG) and co-driver Andreas Schulz (GER)
who moved up a place to 7^th overall today after finishing
8^th in a very difficult stage of the event. Terranova said:
“The navigation today was very difficult.”

The third MINI John Cooper Works Rally also re-joined proceedings
today, subject to appeal, with Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA) feeling better
than the past two days in which he was severely affected by altitude
sickness. With the help of co-driver Timo Gottschalk (DEU), Al Rajhi
steered the #306 car to 13^th place today. His official
overall position is still to be confirmed.

Al Rajhi: “Everything was okay, I felt a lot better, until we got
lost, but I think a lot of drivers got lost today. You go one way and
people were going another way so it was confusing but we just tried to
keep pushing.”

Jakub Przygonski (POL) and Tom Colsoul (BEL) fared well in the #316
MINI ALL4 Racing with a consistent performance that saw the pair
remain in the top ten with a 9^th place stage finish to
maintain 6^th position overall.

Przygonski: “Today was quite a good stage and then we got lost and it
took us about 30km to try to find our way. Everyone was losing their
way today but it’s good that we are here. The weather is not so nice
now and we have to be prepared for it.”

Despite the tough challenges of the stage, Boris Garafulic (ARG) and
co-driver Filipe Palmeiro (POR) also managed to maintain their overall
position of 9^th with a 14^th place stage finish.

The remaining three MINI ALL4 Racing pairings also completed the
difficult Stage 5 with Mohamed Abu Issa (QAT) and Xavier Panseri (FRA)
finishing in 31^st, one place behind Sylvio deBarros (BR)
and Rafael Capoani (BR). The #325 of the experienced Stephan Schott
(GER) and co-driver Paulo Fiuza (POR) were slightly ahead today in
25^th position at the stage end.

Tomorrow’s (07-01-2017) Stage 6 is scheduled to start as planned in
Oruro and finish in La Paz, a total distance of 786 km.

2017 Dakar Rally: MINI Family standings overall after Stage 5.

Position

Driver

Co-driver

Team

Time

Mikko Hirvonen
(FIN)

Michel Périn (FRA)

303

X-raid
Team