Dumas back on the Dakar thanks to the kindness of Al-Attiyah: “I have a Toyota at home, if you want! »

The Dakar capsizes with improbable stories. This was the case during Thierry Sabine's time in Africa, it was a little less so in South America and Saudi Arabia, but the rally-raid has retained a specific charm. Mutual aid is not an empty word in this sport, as Romain Dumas and Nasser Al-Attiyah have demonstrated.

It all started with a fire, the one that set Alexandre Pesci and Stephan Kuhni's DXX buggy ablaze during the shakedown near Jeddah on Wednesday December 29. The President of Rebellion Timepieces, and also Team Manager of Rebellion Racing on the Dakar, saw his hopes of experiencing the desert adventure go up in smoke, despite the automatic activation of the fire extinguisher. Fortunately, the crew was able to escape from the vehicle without incident.

“My first thoughts were for the team and especially Romain Dumas, who invested enormously in a project which was reduced to nothing,” said Alexandre Pesci. Initial investigations point to a shock in the chassis which caused an oil leak near the rear of the V8 engine. The heat may have started the fire.

Sorry to see the gentleman driver remain at the dock, Romain Dumas then made a radical decision: to leave the wheel of his DXX buggy to Alexandre Pesci. The Swiss, born in Rome (Italy), had already retired in 2021 after a series of rolls. The watchmaker received this gift as a blessing.

“I have immense respect and remarkable gratitude for Romain’s initiative, he continues. That’s the spirit of the Dakar! » The record holder for the climb of Pikes Peak thus found himself without a car for the departure scheduled for January 1st.

But the magic of Christmas, a little late, happened on December 30, between the croissants and the coffee. “We are staying in the same hotel as Nasser Al-Attiyah, explains Romain Dumas to AUTOhebdo. Il est venu prendre le petit déjeuner avec nous et au fil de la discussion, il me dit « J’ai une Toyota chez moi, si tu veux ! » It was done in three minutes! »

Linked by a common sponsor (Rebellion), the two men come up with a plan: that of repatriating a Toyota Hilux T1, used by Nasser Al-Attiyah in the Cross-Country Rally World Cup in 2021, from his personal museum in Qatar to in Jeddah, in order to compete in the 2022 Dakar. Arriving at 7 a.m. this Friday, December 31 thanks to the logistical support of Mathieu Baumel (co-driver of Al-Attiyah), the car was redecorated in record time by the French mechanics of the structure :

👏 Incroyable ! L'équipe RD Limited et Rebellion a déjà stické le Toyota Hilux que prête Nasser Al-Attiyah à Romain Dumas pour le # Dakar2022 ! The car arrived at 7 a.m. at the Jeddah park.@RDlimitedTeam @RomainDumas @dakar pic.twitter.com/SjgLUgGHWg

— Medhi Casaurang-Vergez (@MedhiCasaurang) December 31, 2021

“It’s as if suddenly you were given an LM P1, it’s magnificent,”continues, relieved the double winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Audi and Porsche, 5e en 2021 avec Glickenhaus. Cette péripétie lui rappelle d’ailleurs un saut dans l’inconnu similaire du côté de l’Endurance.

“It was in Houston (Texas) in 2011, in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) where I had done zero laps before the race. La Lola-Aston Martin LM P1 that I shared with Klaus Graf was broken down all the time. We finished on the podium! »

The time trial race began well before the start of the first special for the Alésien, who admits to feeling abnormally tired at this stage. “The Dakar hasn't started yet we are already well underway. We'll see how the days go. The team is superb, well structured, we are organized. The shakedown had gone well, it was on the way back that the car burned. »

Romain Dumas walks the imposing service park in Jeddah and knocks on the doors of opposing teams, who forget the competition to favor assistance to a colleague. “I found 12 wheels from a competitor who runs with tires of the same size. I also have two gimbals and a steering rod. It's better than nothing. But the Toyota has not yet started, and has not carried out a service since its last race in Morocco this fall. »

In order to remain in the race, Romain Dumas must pass technical checks until 18 p.m. local time (16 p.m. in France) this Friday, December 31.