At the Dakar Rally, the starting position often determines the results of the day – should there be time credits like there are for motorcycles? – Drivers are divided
The overall standings in the Dakar Rally remained close in the first week, with the top six drivers within 20 minutes of each other. On the other hand, there were regular surprises and a “pendulum effect” in the daily results. Anyone who finished a stage in the top places had little chance of making it into the top 10 the next day.
The winner of a stage has to start first the next day and thus take over the navigation. Navigation becomes easier for the following starters, as they can orient themselves by the tracks and are therefore usually faster.
“From the outside, we make a strategy at the beginning of the race to be somewhere in the middle and avoid the yo-yo effect,” she is convinced: “That works.”
“It’s difficult to analyze what’s happening in the Dakar right now, but I think our strategy is working. We just have to be smart with our management.” Dacia driver Nasser Al-Attiyah led the overall standings after the sixth stage.
Al-Attiyah only won one stage in the first week. There was only one driver who managed to win two stages. That was Ford driver Mitch Guthrie. The American won stage 3, but then lost 44 minutes in stage 4. With a late start position, Guthrie won stage 5. That was an example of the “yo-yo effect.” “I think it takes a lot to really understand the whole thing and see how it develops.”
“I think one reason why this sport is so popular – and why we have so many participants in the Ultimate class – is probably the way the rules are structured. It ensures that there can be a different stage winner practically every day.”
“For a driver who could be described as semi-professional, a stage victory at the Dakar is a huge success.” For example, private Ford driver Martin Prokop achieved two third places and one second place. This is extremely important for sponsors and the news in his home country.
The Ultimate T1+ class is booming. According to the regulations, the cars from Toyota, Ford, Dacia, X-raid, and Century are practically on the same level. The specified torque curve and the maximum speed of 170 km/h balance out the performance.
That’s why practically 15 cars or more can win a stage. “The starting position makes a big difference,” “In the past, there were three or four cars fighting for the lead.”
“That was okay, we all stayed relatively close together. Even if one opened up the track, the last one might have been fourth. But now there are 15, sometimes 20 fast cars. And today, the time differences are more due to the position on the track than to the driver himself.”
Should there be time credits like there are for motorcycles?
“That makes it difficult if you have an unfavorable starting position,” said the Frenchman. A bonus system has been in place for motorcycles for several years. Drivers who are at the front of the field and take over navigation receive time credits.
This system compensates for the disadvantage of driving at the front of the field. The question arises as to whether similar time credits would also make sense for cars. Opinions in the bivouac are divided on this issue. “It could be, but that makes it even more complicated to understand,” says Loeb. “Even now, people who aren’t really involved in our sport sometimes have trouble understanding our rules. Introducing something like this would make it even more complex.“ Nevertheless, Loeb would be open to adapting time bonuses similar to those used in motorcycles: ”A bonus system could be a solution. But I’m not the organizer, I don’t make the decisions, but it would be possible.”
His Dacia teammate Al-Attiyah would also not be opposed to the idea in principle: “If you open up the track, for example, you could get a bonus – why not? Then suddenly everyone would want to open up.”
Ford driver Carlos Sainz takes a slightly more nuanced view: “I’m not so much in favor of it. What I don’t like is that as long as the motorcycles are ahead of us, everything is fine.“
”The strong yo-yo effect only occurs when there are no more motorcycles ahead. I would perhaps say that a little more distance would be good, but we probably don’t need the bonus system.”
This is because the cars usually start after the motorcycles and can use their tracks for guidance. Only in the four marathon stages are there separate routes, and the first cars have to navigate completely on their own and have no tracks to guide them. “With motorcycles, it’s every day, and for us, it would basically only be for two or four stages,” “And then there’s the question of whether it makes sense to have such a bonus system for just a few stages or not.”
“It would be best if the routes were always separate, because then it would be fair. If you do it for four routes, then the question is, does it make sense? That’s actually the main question you have to ask yourself, whether it’s mathematically okay in the end.”
“The topic will certainly come up again after the Dakar, because even for an outsider it’s very difficult to understand why someone lost just because they were in the lead.”
“It doesn’t really make sense, and in principle it’s very difficult to win twice in a row. That’s only possible if it’s a route where you can see where you need to go the whole time. If there’s a lot of navigation involved, it becomes difficult.”