Marko Hanželic
Endurance rallies Dakar 2022, hosted by Saudi Arabia for the third time this year, began with a New Year's Day prologue. On the short route, the most important thing for the participants was to secure a good starting point for tomorrow's first long stage. Nasser Al-Attiyah was in Toyota twelve seconds faster than Carlos Sainz, which is driving a brand new one this year Audi car with hybrid drive.
It was at the start on Saturday Jedi otherwise 80 cars. On the way north to Ha'ila a total of 614 kilometers had to be driven. Short section, long 18,82 km, on which time was measured, was at the beginning of the journey.
Most of the terrain prevailed as a base sand. The first dunes also had to be tackled. Unlike motorcyclists, motorists did not start in in reverse order, but they were the first in line to have drivers with the highest ambitions.
The opening of the competition went to the title defender Stephan Peterhanselwhich is, similar to Sainz, in the service of the team Audi Sport. He was the fastest in the end Al Attiyah, who came up with a new one Hilux, which has been given a new powertrain and is adapted to the new T1 + regulations, which also include larger tires.
Second place, as already mentioned, belonged Sainzand the third was with a Century CR6 B race carrian Baragwanath from South Africa, fourth place also went to a South African Hank Lategan (Toyota), and the fifth was a former world rally champion, a Frenchman Sebastien Loeb (BRX Hunter).
Among motorcyclists, he was the fastest with the prologue Daniel sanders (GasGas), in front of a newcomer to Honda, Pablo Quintanilla, Tue Ross Branch (Yamaha). Simon Marčič he reached the 67th time in the prologue, in his class Original by Motul is in 11th place. Among trucks, the first four places were won by drivers Kamazov.
