Media Information
Dakar Rally 2018
11 January 2018
Dakar Rally 2018
–
Stage 5: San Juan de Marcona – Arequipa
- Two MINI crews complete Stage 5 inside top ten.
-
Terranova overcomes deep sand and high dunes to take
6th in stage. -
Przygonski completes Stage 5 in 10th and moves to
eighth overall.
Munich. Once again the desert sands caused problems for nearly
all competitors in all categories. Right from the outset the leading
group of cars hit trouble in the deep sand and dunes of the Tanaca
region. However, despite the conditions, all five-crews of the MINI
Family completed Stage 5, two inside the top ten.
Highest placed MINI crew at the end of Stage 5 was Orlando Terranova
(ARG) and co-driver Bernardo Graue (ARG) who finished in
6th position after starting from 20th. This result means
the Argentine duo and their MINI John Cooper Works Rally are now
placed just outside of the overall top ten classification in
12th place.
Jakub ‘Kuba’ Przygonski (POL) and Tom Colsoul (BEL) were once again
in the thick of the action. As the dust settled after crossing the
Stage 5 finish point, the MINI John Cooper Works Rally crew were
classed 10th in stage and have now moved up to eighth on
the overall Dakar leader board.
Przygonski: “We got stuck inside the first section. It was very
difficult to get out and spent more than 30 minutes to get free. The
other sections were much better…”
Boris Garafulic (CHI) and co-driver Filipe Palmeiro (POR) were also
victims of deep sand and they too got stuck, but eventually broke free
to complete the stage in 12th. They are now 28th overall.
Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) and Andreas Schulz (DEU) did not have any good
luck in Stage 5. Hirvonen hurt his neck after a severe drop from the
top of a dune, which forced him to drive with caution. The effect of
driving at a reduced pace meant getting stuck several times.
Hirvonen: “What can I say? I had to come out of the
dunes in first gear and by doing this we got stuck two or three times.
It was disastrous.”
Fellow MINI John Cooper Works Buggy crew Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA) / Timo
Gottschalk (DEU) started at an incredible pace to complete the first
section of Stage 5 as leaders. But later, near to the end of the
stage, Al Rajhi opted to take a track on the shoreline of the Pacific
Ocean and was hit by a freak wave that forced their MINI into the
water. Fortunately, the crew of Garafulic / Palmeiro towed them back
onto the beach. More MINI Family assistance came with Hirvonen /
Schulz then towing them to the end of the special stage.
Stage 7, Arequipa – La Paz, takes the competitors out of Peru and
into Bolivia via 447 kilometres of liaison and 313km of special stage.
For more information about Dakar 2018, please visit the host’s event
home page here.
Dakar Rally 2018
: MINI standings after Stage 5
Pos
Driver
Co-driver
#
MINI
Team
Time
8
Jakub Przygonski
(POL)
Tom Colsoul
(BEL)
312
MINI John Cooper Works
Rally
Orlen
Team
015:44:09
+02:16:43
12
Orlando
Terranova
(ARG)
Bernardo Graue
(Arg)
307
MINI John Cooper Works Rally
X-raid Team
017:31:07
+04:03:41
15
Mikko Hirvonen
(FIN)
Andreas Schulz
(DEU)
305
MINI John Cooper Works
Buggy
X-raid
Team
018:16:22
+04:48:56
28
Boris
Garafulic
(CHI)
Filipe Palmeiro
(POR)
317
MINI John Cooper Works Rally
X-raid Team
023:29:15
+10:01:49
29
Yazeed Al
Rajhi
(KSA)
Timo Gottschalk
(DEU)
314
MINI John Cooper Works Buggy
X-raid Team
023:41:03
+10:13:37