What does it take to win the Dakar?

 

We attended the Toyota Gazoo Racing press conference in Sandton, Johannesburg, and chatted to Dakar 2019 winners Nasser Al-Attiyah and his co-driver, Mathieu Baumel, who brought the trophy home to SA. The Dakar rally is the most challenging in the world, and Nasser's performance in the locally-engineered Hilux was faultless. So, apart from having a sponsor such as Toyota and a dedicated, passionate Team Principal and race engineer such as the brilliant Glynn Hall, what does it take to win the most gruelling rally raid on the face of the planet? 

1. (Superhuman) physical strength, skill, and endurance

Imagine being shaken about like a puppet in a tumble dryer, but across the roughest terrain imaginable, at 180 km per hour, while you're wearing a full-body racing suit and a crash helmet, in 40-degree heat, and at altitude where there's not that much oxygen in the air you breathe. Imagine it's for around 8-12 hours per day, for 10-14 days. 

It's no wonder that many of the teams have physical therapists travelling with them to tend to their sore muscles at the end of each stage. Nasser is also one of the only competitors who insists on not having any air-conditioning in the car! Race Engineer Glynn Hall says it's not because it adds to the weight of the car, but because Al-Attiyah says that it still poses a risk, mechanically.

2. Fearlessness and blind courage

The Dakar competitors are always aware that they might be killed or seriously injured in a crash or fall. The motorcyclists and quad bikers are especially vulnerable, since they don't have the protection of roll cages that the cars offer, and also run the risk of getting run over. But, If you let this stop you, the Dakar is not the place for you. 

Apart from the stresses and strains we mentioned in no. 1, there have been a total 78 deaths since the Dakar commenced in 1979. However, only 28 of these deaths were of actual Dakar competitors; the rest were organizers, or spectators who got a little too close to the action. 

The original race organizer and creator of the Dakar, Thierry Sabine, was killed when his helicopter crashed into a sand dune in 1986, along with four other occupants, during a sand storm.

3. Nerves and stomachs of (high-tensile) steel

The ability to keep cool under pressure is probably the most important characteristic a rally driver and his navigator would need. A strong stomach is also recommended! At last year's Dakar, Mathieu Baumel suffered severe carsickness - I mean, who wouldn't, trying to read a road map and finding your way as the driver catapults the car in every possible direction? This year, Mathieu hardly ate to combat this, shedding not just moisture during every stage, but around 4 kilograms of fat and/or muscle. The fact that there was no air-con probably didn't help matters either.

4. Water-tight teamwork and 100% trust

If "teamwork makes the dream work", as they say, then teamwork is what won Toyota Gazoo Racing the 2019 Dakar rally. As one would expect, a rock-solid relationship between driver and co-driver is of the utmost importance, and competing in the Dakar together can probably be compared to making a marriage work during a 10-day natural disaster. 

Matthieu is French and Nasser, born and raised in Qatar, is Arabic, so communication between them takes place English. At the beginning of their career together, they had the odd misunderstanding, but now they function together just like the parts of their well-oiled Hilux. "Sometimes when I hear Matthieu speak in French, I know there's something wrong", Nasser jokes. 

But, the real unsung heroes of the Toyota Gazoo Racing team are the 24 technicians who prepared the three Hiluxes before the race, and sometimes worked all through the night to keep the cars in tip-top shape during the Dakar itself. It was only during the marathon stages when the support trucks are not allowed to offer assistance, that they had a bit of time off.

Team Principal and race engineer, Glynn Hall, said he knew that if they did their part, the Toyota Gazoo racing teams would do the rest. "I knew that If we give the drivers the tools, they will do the job", he said. 

Let's also not forget Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz, as well as Bernhard ten Brinke and Xavier Panseri, who also served the very imporant purpose of not just competing for the title, but acting as backup for Nasser and Matthieu, to offer their help in case disaster struck. In the end it was Ten Brinke and Panseri who had to retire after Stage 8, while de Villiers and Von Zitzewitz lost so much time after hitting a rock in Stage 3, that they continued the rest of the race almost solely as support to Nasser and Matthieu. And still they managed a top-10 finish!

5. Fiery passion and die-hard dedication

Passion for the sport, for driving, and for building and maintaining the car almost has to border on obession, if you're going in for the win! 

“We are so happy to win the Dakar – not only for ourselves, but also for Toyota and the entire Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team. Everyone has worked so hard for so long, and really deserve this. Thank you for letting us drive this car.” 

Well, thank you for driving, Nasser.

TOYOTA GAZOO RACING SA DAKAR Record

(Best finishes)

2012               3rd (G. de Villiers)    

2013               2nd (G. de Villiers)

2014               4th (G. de Villiers)

2015               2nd (G. de Villiers)

2016               3rd (G. de Villiers)

2017               5th (G. de Villiers)

2018               2nd (N. Al Attiyah)

2019               1st (N. Al Attiyah)

 

OVERALL STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 10:

1. Al Attiyah / Baumel (TOYOTA)
2. Roma / Haro (MINI)                                              +46:42
3. Loeb / Elena (Peugeot)                                      +01:54:18
4. Przygonski / Colsoul (MINI)                             +02:28:31
5. Despres / Cottret (MINI)                                    +02:48:43
6. Prokop / Tomanek (Ford)                                   +03:19:02
7. Al Rajhi / Gottschalk (MINI)                               +04:30:56
8. Garafulic / Palmeiro (MINI)                                 +07:57:58
9. De Villiers / Von Zitzewitz (TOYOTA)         +07:59:16
10. Chabot / Pillot (TOYOTA)                                     +08:09:58

Some more Dakar action from 2017 and 2018...

• Click here to read about my 2017 Goerapan adventure in the Dakar Hiluxes with Giniel and Nasserwhen they came to SA for testing.
• Read all about my great Dakar adventure which kicked off in Asuncion, Paraguay, that same year.
• Last year Lawrence Minnie attended Dakar 2018. Click here for his story.