Selected driver quotes after the final Dakar stage 17.01.2020: DAKAR RALLY 2020 Saudi Arabia Friday, January 17th 2020 Carlos Sainz: “We are obviously very, very happy. I’m happy for my co-driver Lucas (Cruz) and happy for the team. It’s been really tight from the first day and we’ve had to p

DAKAR RALLY 2020
Saudi Arabia
Friday, January 17th 2020



Carlos Sainz: “We are obviously very, very happy. I’m happy for my co-driver Lucas (Cruz) and happy for the team. It’s been really tight from the first day and we’ve had to push until the end. We needed to be at 100 percent all the time and this is not easy. It makes the victory even nicer when the battle is so tough. On top of that I win in a third different car, I’m very proud of that.”






Nasser Al-Attiyah: “It’s been a great race. We’ve had lots of fun and we’ve enjoyed ourselves the whole way. The fight with Carlos (Sainz) and Stéphane (Peterhansel) has been tough. There were three drivers at the front of the race giving it everything to win. Well done to both Carlos and Stéphane because we were all involved in a great race.”
Stéphane Peterhansel: “For me it was really a strange Dakar. At the last minute we changed the co-pilot and started the rally with Paulo Fiuza. The guys in front were really fast and made no mistakes with navigation. We did what could.”



Giniel De Villiers: “It was our first Dakar in Saudi Arabia and I think the event was very successful. The first week was really spectacular with the scenery and in the second week we have some really fast stages. There were also some very difficult dunes towards the end. To make a summary of the rally, it has been very successful and I want to say a big thank you to my team.”



Kuba Przygonski: “We’re really happy to be on the finish line. This is my 10th Dakar finish, I’m really proud of this. This was not an easy Dakar, we had some technical issues. However, in the end our speed was quite good. Now we think about the next Dakar and one year of hard preparation.”



Andrey Karginov: “I am happy that we managed to win. In two weeks we covered thousands of difficult kilometres of tough offroad routes. It was important for us to confirm the first position of Kamaz in the truck category of the Dakar and to show the advantage of our vehicles in this new region for the rally. I am glad that our team finished first again and delighted fans in Russia and around the world.”



Anton Shibalov: “It was an interesting and exciting race with lots of battles and a challenging route in this new Dakar region. I’m very glad that our crew won silver in the Dakar. Congratulations to the crew of Andrey Karginov. We are grateful to all the fans and partners of our team for their support.”



Ignacio Casale: “I'm delighted to be here. I've won my third Dakar. I'm elated because it was a long, gruelling race. I had some problems during the second week, but we solved them as well as we could. We worked hard all year long with the mechanics and now I can celebrate this win. Thanks a lot and Viva Chile!”



Blade Hildebrand: “There’s still a lot work to go into this program to get it to where we want it to be, but there were lots of positive steps at this Dakar. We showed in the second week that we can win stages and we’ve learned a lot for future races.”



Chaleco Lopez: “Finishing on the podium is good, but the second week didn't go well for us. We had a huge problem the day before yesterday, so a podium place isn't that bad after all. The first edition in Saudi Arabia was interesting, I'm sure the rally will be even better next year.”



Toby Price: “It’s not the result we came for but with the two weeks we’ve had I’m quite happy to keep my podium streak going. Every time I’ve finished the Dakar I’ve been on a podium step so we’ve kept that run going. Now we’re going to regroup ahead of Dakar 2021. I’ll be back and looking to get the #1 plate again.”



Matthias Walkner: “It’s always nice to finish the Dakar. Of course I would have liked to have been fighting for a podium. It’s been a tough Dakar and there’s been some really bad crashes. I’m pleased to get over the line safely. I wish all the best to the family of Paulo Gonçalves.”



Luciano Benavides: “It’s been a really crazy race. Some parts have been very enjoyable. Now I’m just very, very happy to be here at the finish line of the first Dakar in Saudi Arabia.”



Stefan Svitko: “This Dakar has been very difficult for me so to reach the finish line feels great. This is my 11th Dakar and I’ve finished in 11th place. I’m happy with this and want to come back to Saudi Arabia to race again next year.”



Laia Sanz: “Yesterday was a tough day so today I took it really easy. I’ve started 10 Dakars and I’ve finished all 10. This is something that is really difficult and it’s an achievement I’m very proud of.”



Martin Freinademetz: “The first week was tough for me. I had a few crashes and things needed to be fixed on the bike. Because I’m in the Original by Motul class I had to make all these repairs myself. So I wasn’t getting much sleep. Then the second week things went smoother and I started to enjoy myself more. Completing three Dakars on three different continents feels great.”




 - Christine Fial