Rally

Van den Heuvel's role is to support the three other crews of Petronas De Rooy Iveco Team (headed by Gerard de Rooy, Ton Van Genugten and Federico Villagra) in case they encounter some problems on a special stage. We met Maurik at the De Rooy tent in the Dakar bivouac. Can you explain to us your exact role in the team? “When the special stages run smooth I have an easy job! [he laughs] ...Keep reading View the full article

The Mini driver got stuck while turning around to help stranded teammate Nani Roma, the stoppage costing him 22 minutes and dropping him from second in the outright standings to third, 40 minutes behind leader Nasser Al-Attiyah. Following what he described as a "rookie mistake" on the second stage last week, Peterhansel says a second lengthy delay has left him feeling that victory is almost out ...Keep reading View the full article

It was Toyota driver Al-Attiyah that controlled the majority of the 310km Arequipa-San Juan de Marcona test, which was interrupted by a brief neutralised zone, and halfway through he had built a cushion of nearly two minutes over Loeb. Both drivers then lost time with around 40km remaining looking for a waypoint, but PH Sport Peugeot man Loeb managed to drop less than his rival and managed to ...Keep reading View the full article

The 336km stage, which was run between Arequipa and San Juan de Marcona, was dominated by Quintanilla and Benavides, the duo trading the lead multiple times. Benavides had the upper hand early on, setting the pace in the first 84 kilometres, which was followed by a short neutralisation zone and then the rest of the stage. Quintanilla soon stole the lead but the gap between them was less than ...Keep reading View the full article

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Alonso – who won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Toyota last June – is expected to test a Dakar-spec Hilux within the next month, after contesting the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He will then complete his bid to win the FIA World Endurance Championship, and return to the Indianapolis 500 in May in an attempt to complete the sport’s hallowed Triple ...Keep reading View the full article

Nine-time WRC title-winning duo Loeb and Elena lie fourth overall at the halfway point of the Peru event, 40 minutes down on Toyota man Nasser Al-Attiyah with five stages still to run. The pair dominated the longest test of the rally on Friday in their PH Sport-run Peugeot 3008DKR, but lost considerable time on Wednesday getting lost and also on Thursday with punctures. Summarising his and ...Keep reading View the full article

Millener has stepped up to the role of team principal in a move that saw predecessor Malcolm Wilson’s become managing director instead. M-Sport has gone through a number of changes for 2019, with six-time world champion Sebastien Ogier leaving the team for rival Citroen. The team was the last to confirm its participation in the WRC in 2019 amid financial issues. “We have to be ...Keep reading View the full article

Ogier won the 2017 and ’18 world titles with M-Sport but has moved back to his former team amid concerns over Ford’s investment into the Cumbrian squad. Speaking at the official WRC launch at the Autosport International Show, Budar said he is confident Citroen can return to the top after also bringing in Esapekka Lappi from Toyota. “We have to win, of course we are here for that,” ...Keep reading View the full article

The Citroen, M-Sport Ford and Hyundai teams are sporting the biggest changes to their colour schemes for the coming season. Citroen's 2019 C3 WRC was revealed at the series' season launch without Abu Dhabi backing, but with Sebastien Ogier’s name back on the side of one of its cars for the first time since Rally GB in 2011. The car will still run with Citroen's traditional Red base colour ...Keep reading View the full article

The FIA confirmed the WRC would follow Formula 1’s lead and allow drivers to carry permanent numbers at the October meeting of the World Motor Sport Council. Priority 1 drivers revealed their numbers in Birmingham. The only full-time driver not participating was Sebastien Ogier, who retains the number one reserved for the World Rally champion. Ogier's Citroen teammate ...Keep reading View the full article

A 60-year-old South African man, stood within a group of five outside one of the stage's designated spectator zones, was hit by Karginov's truck, which drove over his left leg with its left rear wheel. A statement from rally organisers ASO said the spectator sustained a broken femur and was swiftly transported to a hospital in Arequipa. “The competitor was excluded from the rally by the ...Keep reading View the full article

Loeb completed 519 timed kilometres between Tacna and Arequipa in just under five hours to pick up his second stage win of the marathon. In what was the longest special of Dakar 2019, leader Nasser Al-Attiyah gave up just over 10 minutes to Loeb, leaving the nine-time World Rally champion with another 40 minutes to make up if he's to challenge the Qatari Toyota driver for overall ...Keep reading View the full article

However, KTM rider Sam Sunderland could still be credited with the stage win, having spent around 10 minutes assisting an injured Paulo Goncalves. Honda rider Goncalves retired after a crash 155 kilometres into the stage, the Portuguese veteran injuring his right hand and head. The stage, run from Moquegua to Arequipa, was an extremely close affair, with as many as eight riders separated by ...Keep reading View the full article

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The Toyota driver was quickest over the 406-kilometre timed special, the longest of the rally thus far, split in two parts by a 55-kilometre neutralised zone. The stage marked the first half of the rally's 'marathon' leg, so-called because external assistance is forbidden and technical support crews do not accompany the competitors to Tacna – instead waiting for their return to Arequipa the ...Keep reading View the full article

The eve before the marathon stage is always longer then the seven working hours of a “normal” day, but it was even longer for the mechanics of the De Rooy team after that Gerard De Rooy broke his steering wheel in the third stage, and Maurik Van den Heuvel had to stop to help him replace it. As the race trucks arrived very late at night, the mechanics started to work on the major problems ...Keep reading View the full article

The 406km stage, which was split by a neutralised zone, was led by Brabec at every waypoint and the American scored his second Dakar stage win by 6m19s. Like in Stage 2, where Brabec also spent the most time in the lead before falling behind, Matthias Walkner was closest to the American - but this time the reigning champion had to settle for second on the day. Both riders made up getting ...Keep reading View the full article

Sainz, who was sixth heading into Wednesday's 331km test but trailed the marathon leader by less than three minutes, says he came up on an unsighted ditch in the early kilometres of the stage. It broke the front-left suspension of his X-raid Mini John Cooper Works Buggy, and left him stranded for over three hours, almost certainly putting an end to his hopes of adding a third Dakar win in ...Keep reading View the full article

M-Sport cars carried Red Bull liveries for the past two seasons after the squad signed and subsequently retained Sebastien Ogier for the 2017 and '18 seasons. But Ogier, who claimed his fifth and sixth WRC drivers' titles while at the Cumbrian squad, has joined Citroen for 2019, which initially cast uncertainty over M-Sport's programme. M-Sport announced its commitment to the series last ...Keep reading View the full article

The team spirit is part of the DNA of the Dakar and is vital to the success of a professional team. There are no more watercarriers now but there is usually a member of the race team that is designated to support others if something happens during the stage. At the De Rooy Iveco team, this role is covered by newcomer Maurik van den Heuvel. His support was crucial on stage 3, an extremely tough ...Keep reading View the full article