RALLY DAKAR 2023

Al-Attiyah: "Audi still has to sign me to win the Dakar"

Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota) continues to be the master of the Dakar. Like last year, he had a pleasant rest day, with a very comfortable lead for the last seven stages (more than an hour over the second, who is also another Toyota, and almost two over Loeb). And, like last year, he reviews with MARCA what happened in the first half... and sends some poisoned message to his rivals.

He asks: I guess you sleep very easy with the situation of the race in this Dakar equator...

Answer: We have done a good job, just like last year when we came to Riyadh with a good lead. This Dakar is being really hard and we are trying to manage it day by day. Many of the rivals we had to compete with have problems, but this is the Dakar.

Q: A lot of people want to know the secret to having a clean career, as theirs tend to be...

A: You have to have experience, and you need calm. Because if one day you lose you can win the other. It is what we are doing this year.

Q: You have to manage the advantage, but at the same time you want the stage points for the W2RC. How can you do both?

A: As we did on stage 8. I started 14th and finished second. We need to do this same thing every day. You don't have to win, but you do have to finish in the top 3.

Q: Surprised by everything that has happened to Audis?

A: I think Audi has gone too fast from the start. They wanted to show from the beginning that they were ahead, but the Dakar holds surprises... even for the biggest teams.

Q: The Dakar project is for three years... they will have a hard time achieving it, right?

A: They still have to sign Nasser Al-Attiyah to win... but I will be very expensive.

Q: Would it be available?

A: Yes, my contract ends after the Dakar... even you could be my representative (laughs)

Q: What do you expect for this second week?

A: It will be difficult, but the most important thing is that it will be a completely different Dakar. They are completely flat areas, there will be wind and it will not be easy to read the routes.

Q: You're pretty much the only one who knows about the Empty Quarter. What it's like?

A: The Empty Quarter is difficult, it is true that I am more used to this type of terrain, but it will be difficult for me too.

Q: Do you think that in these stages there will be many differences?

A: I don't know because the stages are short, but we will need many hours to complete them. Surely we will see cars that get stuck in them. It is what we have to avoid.

Q: Will it be difficult terrain for mechanics or not?

A: I don't think it's very complicated, but it is because we will completely change the rhythm in terms of speed and that also plays a role.

Q: Have you had any difficult moments in this first week? Because it seems that everything has gone very smoothly...

A: Yes, from day one. Many.

Q: Any serious enough to make you think you might lose the race?

A: On stage 7 and 8 we broke the suspension bolts. We noticed it because of the noise of the dampers. We were lucky because the bolt, which is the part that holds the suspension, didn't come off, but instead got stuck. If not, you have to stop to repair and there you lose time.

P: But is it a problem that they can suffer again?

A: No, we think not because we have found the problem and the solution, but it is a consequence of the speed at which we are going on this Dakar. It's crazy, but we try to survive.

Q: If your contract ends... will you complete the World Cup?

A: We'll see. I will make sure Abu Dhabi, Mexico and Argentina. And then we will have to negotiate for next year.

Author: Enrique Naranjo