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On Saturday 9 January, with the equipment in the hands of the mechanics, the Dakar Rally Marathon enjoyed the benefits of a single day of rest. Inbank Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics Team with Benedict wanago and Filipe Palmeiro Halfway through the rally marathon, he’s ranked 13th overall, but with the new Toyota Hilux intact, he can still improve.
The toughest rally marathon of 2021 is full of surprises so far. Already in the first speed section, B. Vanagas crashed to the finish with the damaged car Vaidotas Damage, then repeatedly got stuck in the dunes and wandered for a long time looking for the road, but the driver is satisfied with the result achieved up to the moment.
I will drive faster if necessary
Although the performance curve went up and down in this rally marathon due to lost and recovered time, according to B. Vanago, the average is more important, that is, the overall result, which improves with each stage. In general, I was satisfied with the work done by the team before the day off.
“We assess the situation seriously, so the most important thing before the next stages is not to make mistakes. We will try to keep up with the current pace and, if necessary, accelerate. Conservative tactics allowed us to keep the car intact, which if necessary We will be able to drive very fast ”, commented the pilot.
The team is already searching for France’s closest rivals in the overall standings. Jerome Pelichet, who is ranked 12th, is less than six minutes away, and Christian Lavieille, who is ranked 11th, is 13 minutes away.
The condition of the Toyota Hilux, according to B. Vanago, is currently very good. Without causing any additional challenge, the car allows the crew to drive at the desired pace. The advantage of the new design with the centrally mounted motor has also been revealed: stability at high speeds.
“It just came to our knowledge then. Maybe the car is also a bit more powerful, but you don’t notice much. It’s a completely different feeling, when on a level surface you drive straight like an arrow, the grip on the road is maximum.” commented the runner.
Sailing is part of the race
According to Vanags, the road books issued just before the speed sections, which caused much controversy, leveled the playing field for all Dakar participants. According to him, the organizers also delivered on a promise that sailing will be difficult this year, which is why there was so much noise.
“Now this is a serious challenge for everyone, both for the private and factory teams. Carlos Sainz immediately got angry and even said:” This is not Dakar! “. It seems to me that now everyone has that accepting the rules of the game, in the Dakar the work of the pilot is not only important, but also that of the co-pilot ”, said the athlete.
B. Hawk uses the only day off in Dakar to heal. After intense driving in the sixth gear stage, inflammation of one of the wrists began, which the runner hopes to suppress with medications and vitamins. The best news is that the introduction of a special corset has reduced back pain for a long time.
Although in terms of days, the Dakar participants have reached the halfway point of the 2021 rally marathon, there are still more kilometers to go than they have covered so far. Athletes wait another six days, including a marathon stage that can significantly adjust race results.
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