Bahrain Raid Xtreme make confident start as Dakar launches

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The 44th Dakar Rally has started for competitors as they attack 8,375 km over the next two weeks in Saudi Arabia for one of the biggest prizes in motorsport, with the three Bahrain Raid Xtreme team cars all finishing the opening day in the top ten.

The first leg took place yesterday not far from Jeddah with just 19km completed; a short test but a very important one as it was the first-ever stage of the new five-round FIA World Rally-Raid Championship being launched in 2022.

A total of 409 cars, bikes, quads and trucks left Jeddah, with over 2,500 people including 44 in the BRX team spearheaded by the three cars and six crew made up of Nani Roma/Alex Haro, Sebastien Loeb/Fabian Lurquin and Orly Terranova/Dani Oliveras in the Prodrive Hunters.

Using the specially blended Prodrive EcoPower sustainable fuel in the 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo engine, the cars produce 80 per cent less CO2 and will save 28 tonnes throughout the event.

With such a short stage as the opener, all three Bahrain Raid Xtreme drivers set their own pace over a surprisingly varied selection of terrain, but come the flying finish in the desert sands Sebastien Loeb was fifth, Nani Roma was seventh and Orly Terranova was 10th.

The drivers are now overnighting 810km from the start in Jeddah after a long road section before a 333 km stage tomorrow looping around Hail in the mountainous landscapes of northern Saudi Arabia.

It will be a stage riddled with fiendish navigation puzzles typical of the area and the spirit of the Dakar with big rocks in the early stages and some big sweeping sand to finish off.

Sebastien Loeb said: “In the car and driving against the clock is where we all want to be, so it is a great feeling after the preparation we’ve all put in with BRX.”

Nani Roma, the 2014 Dakar winner, said: “It’s really good to get started and get going on this Dakar.

It was fast in the beginning and there were many broken dunes, so with the sun in your eyes it was difficult to see.”

Orly Terranova said: “Our target was to be in the top 10 on this first stage and we did it to have a great start.

We’re happy with the stage but we had a fright as there was an unseen rock after a crest and we thought we’d done some damage at one point.”