Mini: Into the desert with new buggies
DEFENDING THE TITLE At the upcoming Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia in January, the German X-raid team will field six competitive Minis. Multiple winners Carlos Sainz and Stéphane Peterhansel will once again compete in JCW buggies. Despite the corona crisis and the resulting limited testing opportunities, the X-raid engineers were able to further improve the buggy. Among other things, they have [...]
Despite the coronavirus crisis and the resulting restrictions on testing, the X-raid engineers were able to further improve the buggy. Among other things, they have analyzed and optimized many components in order to further reduce the overall weight. The suspension geometry and setup were also optimized.
Defending champion from Spain
Carlos Sainz and his co-driver Lucas Cruz travel to Saudi Arabia as defending champions. The Spaniards won last January, clinching the fifth Dakar victory for X-raid. It was Sainz's third success in the legendary desert rally.
Record winner with new co-driver
One of his fiercest rivals in the battle for overall victory will be his team colleague Stéphane Peterhansel. Although the Frenchman is competing in a Dakar for the first time with his new co-driver Boulanger, they already achieved a top result in the preparatory rally in October. Peterhansel can also draw on the experience of 13 Dakar victories.
Sven Quandt, X-raid Team Principal: "Preparations have been completed at our headquarters in Trebur and most of the equipment is now in Marseille and will be shipped to Jeddah. We can hardly wait for the start of the Dakar 2021 and the route looks very promising. Of course, our ultimate goal is to defend the title."
A total of six Mini desert racers will be entered by the X-raid team. In addition to the two rear-wheel-drive JCW Buggy, three pairings on Mini JCW Rally and a duo on a Mini All4 Racing will be at the start.
Two tough weeks
The 2021 Dakar Rally begins on January 3 in the port city of Jeddah on the Red Sea, where the finish will also take place on January 15. The rest day will take place on January 9.
According to the plan, the participants will cover a total of 7646 kilometers in twelve daily stages, 4767 of which are against the clock.
