Fourth Stage Win for Toyota Gazoo Racing at Dakar 2021
- Opening the route once again, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel completed the 456-kilometre Riyadh to Al Qaisumah fourth fastest. The pair were able to limit their time loss to the leader, remaining in second position overall, 6min 11sec from the lead.
- Giniel de Villiers, winner of the 2009 Dakar Rally, together with navigator Alex Haro, mounted an impressive comeback after several challenging days to win Stage 5. Giniel and Alex were the 22nd car into the stage and made the most of this road position to win the stage by 58sec, leapfrogging from 22nd to 12th in the overall standings.
- Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings, who impressed on Stage 3 and 4, suffered an accident at the 19-kilometre mark after striking a ditch at high speed which sent their Hilux flipping end-over-end. Both were able to exit their Hilux, which came to rest on its side, unaided, and did not suffer serious injuries. After an initial medical check by the Dakar 2021 medical team, Henk was transported to Riyadh for further medical attention for his shoulder. As a result, the crew of No. 332 has retired from Dakar 2021.
- Stage 5 also saw Shameer Variawa and Dennis Murphy record another solid stage, even though they started down the order again which placed them in the dust of competitors. They finished as the 28th car on the stage to improve their overall position from 43rd place to 38th, despite suffering two punctures and dealing with limited engine power that hampered their progress in the dunes.
Glyn Hall, Team Principal: “For the team it was and up-and-down day, the highs and lows of Giniel winning the stage with Nasser in fourth, just behind Stéphane Peterhansel to maintain the gap to the lead. But unfortunately, Henk and Brett’s race came to an end today just 19 kilometres in. They were just a few metres off the right line, going just a bit faster than they probably should have been. They hit an eroded ditch and rolled, but the car wasn’t too badly damaged. The biggest problem was that Henk dislocated his shoulder in the crash, which is extremely painful. They had to retire, after a bit of a fairy-tale the last few days. But it is certain that many people will have taken notice of them now and we look forward to more great performances from them in the future.”
Nasser Al-Attiyah (No. 301): “What we did today was fantastic for our race, and I’m quite happy to finish just behind Stéphane Peterhansel. We made a small mistake in the beginning that allowed him to catch up, but then we stuck together for the rest of the stage which puts us in a good road position for tomorrow.”
Giniel de Villiers (No. 304): “Today couldn’t really have gone any better, having won the stage. Alex did a really good job, as the stage was very tricky, especially for the first 70 kilometres. But, we did a good job there and managed to hold it together for the rest of the very difficult, proper Dakar stage. Lots and lots of dunes towards the end, with some sharp drop-offs, but we did okay through them. We just had to manage a slow puncture, but other than that everything was good.”
Shameer Variawa (No. 330): “Today we managed to record a reasonable stage time despite a couple of challenges. We had two punctures in the stage but our engine also had a problem with power delivery. The team will have to check it tonight, but we didn’t have enough power to shift up from first gear in the dunes, which really held us back. All things considered, I am happy with our progress today.”
2021 Dakar Rally Stage 5 Results:
1st No. 304 Giniel de Villiers/Alex Haro, 5hr 9min 25sec
4th No. 301 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Mathieu Baumel, +4min 38sec
28th No. 330 Shameer Variawa/Dennis Murphy, +1hr 4min 29sec
Retired No. 332 Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings
2021 Dakar Rally Overall Results After Stage 5:
2nd No. 301 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Mathieu Baumel, +6min 11sec
12th No. 304 Giniel de Villiers/Alex Haro, +1hr 57min 26sec
38th No. 330 Shameer Variawa/Dennis Murphy, +6hr 0min 32sec
Retired No. 332 Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings
ENDS
