'They still haven't fitted a cupholder' - Carlos Sainz and Mattias Ekström share the real Dakar secrets
The 2022 Dakar Rally is in its second week. For anyone that doesn't know the full extent of what it entails, it is arguably the most gruelling form of motorsport there is - the ultimate test of driver and machine. It takes 14 days to complete and covers over 8,000km. More than half of that distance is on the 12 off-road stages, pitting you against the stopwatch and the unrelenting Saudi Arabian desert, which tries to trip you up every step of the way.
CS: We have to take into consideration that we never competed with this car, before this event, so we've missed the competition to fine tune things. We didn't know where we were going to be, but, I must say, I am happy. We won a stage, and without problems we're always fast. This is very encouraging for the future. The reality is we're having problems that we didn't expect, like the dampers.
CS: Even with the regen the breaking is very consistent - more than a normal system. When you fit new discs to standard brakes you have good bite, but after 400km the bite is always decreasing, but with this system you always have the same feeling with the pedal. Plus you can still adjust it. CS: It's always important. I know Stéphane very well for many years and he's such a great sportsman. When he arrived [at Sainz's stricken car] we laughed. You know, what can you do? I was very unfortunate with the problem with the damper. By mounting the damper, they [the mechanics] make a small mistake with one O-ring, and for that mistake I lost all the oil.CS: [Laughs] Yeah, that was a surprise.
CS: One thing is important: when you see somebody have an accident you stop. This is the most important thing. And obviously, with the competition between the bikes and the cars, we need to work in the safest way. Sometimes it's not easy and sometimes it can generate difficult situations. For example, when one journalist asked about how cramped the Dakar car is, he said"It's on a different level to the WRX cars" and, pointing to the journalist's rotund stomach, said with a smile"you wouldn't fit, your airbag's already gone off." No one took offence. Everyone, including the journalist in question, fell about laughing.
PH: Speaking of drinking espressos, this leads us on to a delicate matter but a serious point. It's a long route - 10 or 12 hours. We've heard about F1 drivers peeing in the cockpit. Do your mechanics have to watch out for any presents when you get back to the service area?
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