Toyota Gazoo Racing started defending its Dakar Rally crown on New Year’s Day. From a challenging start of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, defending champions Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel completed the first day more than seven minutes behind the lead. But by Stage 3 the GR DKR Hilux T1+ drivers and hardworking service crew had transformed their fortunes and were actually in front! This means that the Dakar Rally result after Stage 4 is a consolidated and extended overall lead.
Dakar Rally result after Stage 4
Compared to the three previous days, Stage 4 was relatively clean: a single puncture being the only interruption in Al-Attiyah and Baumel’s flow. The duo posted the fourth fastest time over the 425km special, while their nearest competitor relinquished more than seven minutes over the same course. As a result the TGR crew in the #200 Hilux was able to extend its advantage to 18min 18sec over the privateer Hilux of Overdrive Racing in second place.
Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings in the #217 Hilux also had a successful stage, completing the route without a single puncture. Starting as the second car on the road made it difficult to find the route as there was only one set of tracks to follow; nevertheless, the pair found a good pace and crossed the finish line as the sixth fastest car. Slowly but surely, the harsh 20-minute penalty incurred in the first stage is being overcome and they are well-placed to make an attack on fourth place in Stage 5.
Stage 4 also brought a clean run for Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy in the #205 Hilux. Progress through the thick, wet sand that marked the early parts of the stage was hampered by starting in 27th place. But the pair pushed on despite the conditions and recorded the ninth fastest time on the stage, thereby maintaining their seventh place position overall. Encouragingly, the gap to sixth and fifth places is now just 46 and 48 seconds away respectively, so the favourable road position for the start of Stage 5…
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