The Spanish driver achieved third position in the second special of the rally and retains the overall lead
“It has been a stage of great concentration, all the while looking at the stones well. We punctured once, and then, opening was very difficult,” said the man from Madrid.
The second special of Dakar Rally 2023 was especially hard for all the pilots, with 430 kilometers from the Sea Camp bivouac to the north of the country, full of stones that complicated the lives of the participants.
erik van lon had been in the lead since early on, but lost ground compared to Nasser Al Attiyah, who won to cut compared to Carlos Sainzwho is the leader.
The man from Madrid was one of the winners of the day opening the track, a very complicated task due to not having references, although he pulled ex officio and managed to follow the route that the organization made until he reached AlUla, where he was received by his child, Carlos Sainz Jr.SainzIn this way, he managed to retain the lead, which was not easy at all: “It was a stage with a lot of concentration, all the time looking carefully at the rocks. We had a puncture once, and then, opening up was very difficult. Lots of rocks, many, many stones, many trial areas, many areas of a lot of patience and to go slowly so as not to puncture, and being the first car, well more”, he explained about the day’s stage. It was the discipline to go slowly so as not to puncture, because we’ve had a lot of rocks and it’s very easy to puncture”.
The man from Madrid recognized that he was one of the specials tougher than he had faced, although even and despite his 60 years, he endured physically to defend that leadership: “We have spent five hours in the special, so it has not been easy. It has been one of the most difficult specials I have done, it was very complicated. I’ve played once, and from then on, I’ve slowed down so that I don’t play another, because the next time it’s waiting two hours. we give in sites we give it all we can. Keep in mind that in 400 kilometers of stage there is everything”.