Grizzly Dakar 2022 Bears Its Teeth Early
Attiyah, Sanders stay ahead as Day 2 chaos erupts behind.
Dakar 2022 bared its teeth early as Sunday’s second leg proved chaotic in the Saudi Arabian desert around H’ail. Saturday’s prologue winners, Qatari Nasser Al Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel’s Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux and Aussie Gas Gas rider Daniel Sanders remained on top, but the challenging 333 km route proved more than just a challenge, including for several Southern African competitors behind.
Al Attiyah and Baumel set the pace from the get-go off their ideal starting position, but they were kept honest most of the morning by Swedish rookie DTM star Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist. They delivered an unexpected pace out of their petrol-electric Audi Sport RS Q e-tron, as both leading crews later drew away from Saudi home hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Michael Orr’s Hilux.
Behind them, Carlos Sainz Sr. and Lucas Cruz’s second electric Audi closed in on Al Rajhi after doing battle with the SA-built Century CR6s of Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer and Brazilians Marcelo Gastaldi and Cadu Sachs. Nani Roma and Alex Bravo’s BRX Hunter and Hiluxes of Dutchman Bernhard ten Brinke and Sébastien Delaunay and SA Gazoo crew Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy were also in the thick of that battle.
But there was still much drama in store. SA Toyota crew Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings lost three hours and a nightmare started to unfold for Audi as Stéphane Peterhansel Edouard Boulanger’s car stopped around mid-distance. Then Ekstrom lost an hour and Sainz two, but they were not alone. Baragwanath and Roma lost over an hour in the last two sectors, with Al Rajhi, Sainz, Ten Brinke, and Gastaldi also all delayed.
Dakar Day 3: Sparks Fly Around Audi’s First Win
Drama in the desert for Sainz, Al Attiyah, and a Hero bike win
Tuesday’s sandy 338 km fourth Dakar stage around Al Artawiya was the regular story of dunes, punctures, and challenges on the road. But the drama overflowed in the stewards’ office when both the day’s winner and the overall leaders among the cars got away relatively lightly after transgressions on the day.
Day winner Carlos Sainz Sr. and Lucas Cruz were rapped on the knuckles for an offense that would once have seen them demoted from Sainz’s 40th and a historic first alternative energy petrol-electric car win for Audi’s RS Q e-Tron Quattro. The Spaniards were caught speeding and fined R6,750 for their efforts. Sainz and Cruz had fought with South African Toyota Gazoo Hilux duo Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings, who led most of the way, only to end 38 seconds adrift in second.
It was a good day for Audi with all three RS Q e-Trons in the top five. Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger came in third a further minute behind. Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist’s Audi followed fourth-placed Nani Roma in the first of the BRX Hunters. None of the above are in a strong overall position, however, but the following four Proudly South African Toyota Hiluxes homes are all very much remain in the overall running.
Local hero Yazeed Al Rajhi and Michael Orr came home sixth ahead of factory Gazoo crews, South Africans Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy, and overall leaders Nasser Al Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel. Ever-consistent Argentine privateers Luciano Alvarez and Araman Monelon were tenth. It was not a good day for the second man overall Sebastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin’s BRX Hunter. They lost over half an hour with punctures and drive issues on their Hunter.
Day 4 Dakar Day 4: How Heroes Are Made
Al Attiyah & Barreda win again, but Petrucci, Visser star.
It was all about new heroes on Wednesday’s longest Dakar Rally ‘22 stage. Day 4 was a grueling 465-kilometer race between Al Qaysumah and Riyadh. Overall leaders, Nasser Al Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel’s Gazoo Hilux won after their first car home, Saudi local hero Yazeed Al Rajhi and Michael Orr’s Hilux was penalized for speeding. Honda duo Juan Barreda and Pablo Quintanilla took bike honors. But the day will be remembered for rookie former MotoGP star Danillo Petrucci, and SA drivers Henk Lategan and Chris Visser’s efforts.
Wednesday started well for Toyota Gazoo Hilux duo Lategan and Brett Cummings. They bided their time early on, before driving off to a 2 minute lead over Al Attiyah and Al Rajhi’s similar machines. Alas, Lategan and Cummings’ Hilux picked up a hub problem, and they were forced to stop and wait for assistance. Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger once again joined the Toyota duo in an agonising wait. Their Audi suffered another suspension failure too.
That left Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz’s petrol-electric Audi RS Q e-Tron Quattro fending off Al Rajhi and Al Attiyah. Nasser appeared to lose a little time to try to help his stricken teammate Lategan. Behind them, Sebastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin’s BRX Hunter held a watching brief ahead of Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy’s Hilux, Mini duo, Yasir Seaidan, and Alexey Kuzmich, and Jakub Przygonski and Timo Gottschalk, and French crew Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s SA-built Century CR6.
Day 5: Lategan’s Maiden Dakar Victory
SA champ Henk takes first car win, Branch second on bikes
It was a huge day for South African competitors on Dakar’s Day 5 around Riyadh. Toyota Gazoo Hilux duo Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings finally delivered on their stage-winning promise to bring their Toyota Gazoo Hilux home to a fine victory. And Botswana rider Ross Branch finished a fine second on two wheels, behind Italian MotoGP racer and Dakar rookie sensation Danilo Petrucci’s KTM after first man home duo, Aussie Toby Price was booked three minutes for speeding.
There was however more drama before the action even started Thursday morning. The fourth car overall overnight, Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy’s Gazoo Toyota Hilux was slapped with a monster five-hour penalty after a second incident involving a motorcycle. That not only saw the South African crew join a long list of race favorites running at the back overall following a litany of different issues, but it also drew widespread criticism of Dakar continuing to race cars and bikes on the same route.
By way of circumstance, while portions of the cars and bike routes have on occasion been separated for safety reasons, Thursday’s romp around Riyadh just happened to be the first-ever Dakar stage where the motorcycles raced a completely different route to the cars. That considered, both the cars and bikes became tales of two races as the first machines to start found the going tough as they opened the road. Leaving those who started further back to fight it out for the day’s glory.
Dakar Day 6: Sa Stars, Nasser In Charge Halfway
SA-built Toyotas 1-2-4-5 as South Africans star in Dakar Rally Day 6
Nasser Al Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel now lead a proudly South African Toyota Hilux Dakar 1-2 by over 50 minutes after another tough day in the Arabian dunes. Argentine duo Orlando Terranova and Daniel Carreras’ BRX Hunter won day 6 in the cars. It was a positive day for South African crews. Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century fourth and Shameer Variawa and Danie Stassen’s Gazoo Hilux seventh. Gas duo Sam Sunderland and Daniel Sanders led a truncated bike stage as Botswana hero Ross Branch tumbled out of the race.
The cars and other four-wheelers swapped their Thursday routes with the bikes and quads for Friday’s 421 kilometer Dakar Day raid around Riyadh ahead of Saturday’s well-earned rest day. It was not without those regular Dakar dramas. Despite many tracks to follow, the day-to-day results yo-yo continued as the first cars and bikes on the road once again suffered greatly while opening the way.
First and second cars away Friday morning, Toyota Gazoo Hilux duo Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings and Sebastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin’s BRX Hunter fared well enough through the first sector. But they dropped well out of contention by the second waypoint to join third and fourth crews away, Luciano Alvarez and Araman Monelon’s Hilux and Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s Century CR6 well outside of the top 30.
Dakar Day 7: Nasser, Loeb In Desert Dogfight
Loeb takes the day, Attiyah is still in control as Flormino wins dramatic bikes
Sunday’s Dakar Rally Day 7 proved a dogfight in the desert as Sebastien Loeb and Nasser Al Attiyah escaped a multi-car dice to see the second man Loeb took the day and more than five minutes out of Attiyah’s overall lead. It was a dramatic day in the bikes as third overall Sam Sunderland crashed out of the race in a crash en route to the day’s racing stage and the other two top men overall were delayed to see Jose Florimo take the day and Yamaha’s Adrien van Beveren to move into the rally lead.
The 402 km race from Riyadh to Al Dawadimi commenced with 100 km of dunes before a less technical, but more navigationally challenging maze of winding tracks. It proved something of a dogfight upfront with overall car leaders Nasser Al Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel’s Gazoo Toyota Hilux, and second, third and fourth crews, Yazeed Al Rajhi and Michael Orr’s Hilux, Sebastien Loeb, and Fabian Lurquin’s BRX Hunter fighting it out in a group at the head of the car bunch.
They were joined by Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings’ Gazoo Hilux, and Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist, Carlos Sainz Sr. and Lukas Cruz’ and Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger’s petrol-electric Audi RS Q e-Trons. All of the above were initially in or about the top three in an epic battle that raged for most of the morning. But de Villiers hit trouble and lost 50 minutes and Lategan 40 as he stopped to help his stricken teammate. While Loeb stormed ahead, as he opened his lead up over the pursuing Al Attiyah upfront.
