Al-Attiyah returns to Sainz

Nasser Al-Attiyah has taken 1'20'' from Carlos Sainz and is getting closer to the Spaniard in the general classification. The Qatari now wants to attack.

Published on 09/01/2011 à 20:25

⁰ View comments)

Shortened to 273 km instead of the 611 initially planned so as not to further test amateur competitors out of breath after the last two stages, the special stage of the day linking Arica to Antofagasta saw the VW Touareg of Nasser Al-Attiyah wins for the second time since the start of the rally. It is ahead of the other two VWs Carlos Sainz and Giniel De Villiers who completes the hat-trick at the finish. “We went through a very difficult stage. We caught up with Carlos Sainz very quickly, but could not overtake him because of the dust,” explained the Qatari.

“We didn't want to take any risks and we stayed behind him. We still take 1'20 back from him. I'm delighted to win the special. From now on, I'm really going to attack. To avoid punctures, you must avoid skidding too much or putting the car too sideways. Last year I had six punctures. So this year, I’m really focusing on staying online as much as possible.”

Would this technique be enough for Stéphane Peterhansel to get through the chronic illness affecting his BMW X3 CC? In fact, the Frenchman once again suffered a puncture. The 5th in two specials. He finished beyond the first three places in the rally for the first time. “From the start, a Volkswagen must have had a problem because we found ourselves in its dust,” he explained.

“It was quite painful to drive at 20 km/h because of this dust. So, we let them go and, after 15 kilometers, we had a puncture. Perfect for not giving us confidence for the future. I don't have the right speed to ride in these rocky fesh fesh conditions. The minutes add up and it starts to get big. It's my fault. I'm driving too fast in these conditions. I don't have the right rhythm. Anyway, podium, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 8, for me it's equivalent. The only thing that interests us at the start is victory. There, it’s slipping away from us, that’s for sure.” Peterhansel, however, retains his 3rd place in the standings but is now 21'11 behind Carlos Sainz. The Spanish leader is now only 1'22" ahead of his Qatari teammate and rival.