2017 Dakar Rally – Stage 7: La Paz

Media Information

2017 Dakar Rally

09 January 2017

 

2017 Dakar Rally – Stage 7: La Paz
– Uyuni, 622 km

 

  • Hirvonen returns to form with 4th place stage finish
  • Top 10 stage finishes for Al Rajhi, Garafulic and Terranova
  • Hirvonen maintains top five position overall

 

Munich. A full day’s racing resumed at the 2017 Dakar today,
with a revised Stage 7 route that integrated some of the locations
from the cancelled Stage 6 into the road book. After poor weather
conditions caused Stage 5 to be shortened and Stage 6 cancelled,
yesterday’s rest day provided the perfect opportunity for organisers
to change the first part of the marathon stage today. The Dakar
website referred to the new road book as an unprecedented
combination of the original routes, with the drivers doing battle on
mostly sandy terrain for two of the day’s main sections.

 

The combination of a sandy stage and two days’ rest seemed to work
well for Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) and Michel Perin (FRA) as the pair
showed a return to form in the #303 MINI John Cooper Works Rally car.
The Finn completed today’s section of the race in 4th position, just
over 5 minutes behind the race winner to maintain 5th place
in the overall standings.

 

The rest also benefitted fellow MINI John Cooper Works Rally driver,
Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA), who is now recovered from his week one illness.
He and co-driver Timo Gottschalk (DEU) were the second X-raid Team to
complete today’s stage, crossing the finish line in 8th
place in the #306 car. His official overall position is still to be
confirmed following an appeal.

 

The third MINI John Cooper Works Rally car (#308) finished Stage 7
just two places behind Al Rajhi in 10th place. The
consistent performances of Orlando Terranova (ARG) and co-driver
Andreas Schulz (GER) sees them maintain 7th position
overall, less than five minutes behind their closest rival in
6th place.  

 

Sandwiched between Al Rajhi and Terranova in 9th place
today was Boris Garafulic (ARG) and co-driver Filipe Palmeiro (POR) in
the #314 MINI ALL4 Racing. Today’s finish was enough to maintain the
pair’s 9th position in the overall top ten.

 

Still one position ahead of them in the main race is Jakub Przygonski
(POL) and Tom Colsoul (BEL), who are 8th overall despite a
challenging stage today in the #316 MINI ALL4 Racing that saw them
finish 15th.

 

The remaining three MINI ALL4 Racing pairings also completed Stage 7
with Mohamed Abu Issa (QAT) and Xavier Panseri (FRA) finishing in
16th, ahead of Stephan Schott (GER) and Paulo Fiuza (POR) in
25th. The final MINI ALL4 Racing of Sylvio deBarros (BR)
and Rafael Capoani (BR) finished in 30th.

 

The second part of the marathon stage will depart from Uyuni barracks
tomorrow (10-01-2017) and is scheduled to complete in Salta, a total
distance of 892 km.

 

2017 Dakar Rally: MINI Family standings overall after Stage 7.

 

Position

Driver

Co-driver

#

Team

Time

5

Mikko Hirvonen
(FIN)

Michel Périn (FRA)

303

X-raid
Team

16:44:30

+00:47:24

7

Orlando Terranova
(ARG)

Andreas Schulz
(GER)

308

X-raid Team

17:13:12

+01:16:06

8

Jakub Przygonski
(POL)

Tom Colsoul (BEL)

316

ORLEN
Team

17:15:08

+01:18:02

9

Boris Garafulic
(CHL)

Filipe Palmeiro
(POR)

314

X-raid Team

18:05:26

+02:08:20

12

Mohamed Abu Issa
(QAT)

Xavier Panseri
(FRA)

322

X-raid Team

16:45:04

+02:42:06

16

Sylvio de Barros
(BR)

Rafael Capoani (IT)

339

X-raid
Team

20:03:05

+04:05:59

17

Stephan Schott
(GER)

Paulo Fiuza (POR)

325

X-raid
Team

20:13:40

+04:16:34

33*

Yazeed Al Rajhi
(KSA)

Timo Gottschalk
(DEU)

306

X-raid Team

30:14:35

+14:17:29

*subject to appeal