CROSS COUNTRY – SAINZ TOPPLES AL-ATTIYAH FOR STAGE WIN

The MINI crew of Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz took their first stage select of the Rallye du Maroc, breaking the stronghold Nasser Al-Attiyah has enjoyed over the past two days. The Qatari and co-driver Mathieu Baumel proceed to handbook, on the opposite hand, and the Toyota crew head team-mates Giniel de Villiers/Alex Haro by 17 minutes and 21 seconds. Stéphane and Andrea Peterhansel furthermore relieve position in third, goal correct 31 seconds further adrift at the mid-level of the final spherical of the FIA World Cup for Rotten Country Rallies.

At the present time’s leg took in a single other lengthy and hot selective section covering 360 kilometres, all over again looping inside and exterior of the Erfoud bivouac. Navigation used to be tricky and the total crews were furthermore the narrate of a brand recent machine of road e-book that can be provided from 2020 to all excessive nation rallies. Al-Attiyah used to be cautious at the outset, shimmering he’d lose time, however gained self belief with the road e-book and pushed extra robust against the cease of the section. “It used to be one other lengthy day however we made no mistakes,” he acknowledged. “I’m somewhat blissful with our performance, it used to be irritating, exhausting, however the car and tyres labored thoroughly.”

De Villiers used to be fourth fastest via the section, however silent easiest 41 seconds off Sainz’s winning time. “It used to be a actually advantageous, righteous however tricky stage without a components; potentially the most fun stage to this level,” acknowledged the South African.

The Peterhansels preserve a shut third after beating de Villiers by a mere seven seconds within the section. “It used to be a righteous stage and Andrea did very righteous navigation the first time with the recent road e-book. It’s not irritating and I own blissful, so for us it used to be a righteous first stage with this methodology,” acknowledged Stéphane. “It used to be diversified form of terrain within the north, not too rocky and a few tracks.”

Sainz now slots into fourth total, having won the three and a half of hour stage by a mere 29 seconds. “It used to be a exhausting day for navigation and the co-drivers, however the complete lot used to be ideal for us, no complications. I’m slowly getting extra and further assured relieve within the car, it’s a lengthy time since I’ve driven,” acknowledged the Spaniard.

Mathieu Serradori and Fabian Lurquin dropped time to the frontrunners, however the Century Racing CR6 crew relieve fifth overnight: “It used to be a irritating stage and the navigation used to be very exhausting; I’m convey material to approach at the lift out,” acknowledged Serradori.

Jakub Przygoński, co-driven by Timo Gottschalk, climbed to sixth, ruing the time lost within the opening leg. “It used to be a righteous stage, in actuality advantageous in a brand recent region,” acknowledged the Pole. “It used to be diversified terrain with advantageous tracks, mercurial with small bumps and tricky navigation, however palatable. I’m blissful to be right here and the car used to be righteous, it’s goal correct a disgrace for the first day.”

While Toyota is currently enjoying a provisional one-two at the cease of the leaderboard, the team furthermore skilled disappointment with Bernhard ten Brinke and Fernando Alonso. Ten Brinke and Tom Colsoul started well, the Hilux crew fastest via the first fraction of the section before hitting distress and leaving at the relieve of the leg. “The stage used to be somewhat mercurial and we were driving a righteous bustle,” acknowledged the Dutchman. “Two or three kilometres before the lift out of the first section, in a river bed, if used to be off road and advantageous. But there used to be a gap one metre by two metres blocking 75% of the road and we hit it at 150 km/h and nearly rolled. We had a broken wishbone and managed to repair it on the stage and salvage to the cease of this section before coming relieve to the bivouac.”

Group-mates Fernando Alonso and Marc Coma suffered the same fate. “We had ruin on the suspension, it used to be an limitless ditch nearly at the cease of the first fraction of the section, at kilometre 75,” acknowledged Alonso. “Sadly we would not repair it and we had to approach right here [to the bivouac] and confidently now the fellows will strive to lift out it and salvage animated for the following day.”

Leaders in T3, Aron Domzala and Maciej Marton, were the third crew to hit the outlet, the Poles rolling three times however furthermore escaping unscathed. The category is now being led by Gerard Farres Guell/Armand Monleon Hernandez who head Can-Am Maverick opponents and leaders within the T3 World Cup standings, Reinaldo Varela/Gustavo Gugelmin, by nearly 11 minutes.

Tuesday’s penultimate leg is the longest of the rally at 409 competitive kilometres.

Rallye du Maroc – Provisional outcomes after Leg 3 (18: 26 hrs local)

Photo: @DPPI