Selected driver quotes after Dakar Rally stage 11 16.01.2020: Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia, Stage 11 Thursday, January 16th 20020 Anton Shibalov: “Today was very sandy. The early part of the day was dunes, only the last part was very fast. For the last 60 kilometres we were going at top speed the whole way. To

Dakar Rally
Saudi Arabia, Stage 11
Thursday, January 16th 20020



Anton Shibalov: “Today was very sandy. The early part of the day was dunes, only the last part was very fast. For the last 60 kilometres we were going at top speed the whole way. Tomorrow we want to make sure we hold first and second position in the general classification.”



Dmitry Sotnikov: “We followed Anton Shibalov through the first part of the stage. We were in a place with lots of dunes. We were able to stay close to our team-mates so we could help each other out if there were any problems. Thankfully we all got through the stage without any difficulty.”



Carlos Sainz: “It's good to have put the marathon stage behind us. It's always important. Yesterday we got to work on the car and everything went well. Just one day to go. I'll keep an eye on the gaps and stay focused for tomorrow.”



Stéphane Peterhansel: “It's so hard to gain minutes under normal circumstances. On the other hand, navigational mistakes have led to big gaps. We fought hard, we pushed all day long and we gained some time, but not enough. Now, if Carlos (Sainz) can bring it home, it’ll be great for the team.”



Nasser Al-Attiyah: “We paid dearly for our mistake yesterday. Now we'll battle Stéphane (Peterhansel) for second place. Making it so far is already great, there’s one stage to go and we’ll see how it goes.”



Giniel De Villiers: “It was very difficult in the morning in the dunes, there were some big holes and big, big drops. It was difficult to see where the dangers were. You have to brake on every crest because there’s no way of knowing what is on the other side.”



Kuba Przygonski: “The stage was not easy today. In the beginning the dunes were really, really difficult. The sand was very slippery and it was not so easy to drive. Then the stage got faster and we were able to push. I enjoyed the day.”



Toby Price: “It’s been a good stage and at the moment Honda just needs to protect their lead. The guys are riding fast and riding smart. It’s definitely making it hard for us to try and make up that gap. We’re doing our best, we’re trying to keep in the fight. We’ve only got one more day to go. We’re at the end of day eleven.”



Matthias Walkner: “It was one of my best days. I pushed hard in the long dune sector. I love this kind of stage. The end was much faster. I ran out of fuel three kilometres before the refuelling station. I had to stop for a while and get back going again, but I think I posted a good time.”



Luciano Benavides: “It was a really nice stage today. It was the first time we crossed the really big dunes. I was concerned about the amount of fuel I had so I slowed down before the refuelling. Then I caught up with some guys in front. I think I did a good job today.”



Laia Sanz: “I was doing well today. Then after the refuelling I hit a hole, it was a big impact with my front wheel. It was painful and I’m happy to have made it to the end. Hopefully the pain is not too bad tomorrow.”



Ignacio Casale: “This was an excellent stage for me. I needed to put yesterday’s stage where I lost 40 minutes out of my mind. The objective today was to protect the lead that I still have. This is what I was able to do ahead of tomorrow’s final stage.”



Chaleco Lopez: “Today was a good day. Yesterday I lost one hour making repairs. Today was much better for us. Driving fast, correct navigation and everything good with our vehicle.”



Blade Hildebrand: “It was wide open out there, lots of off-piste dunes that are really hard to read. Unfortunately my team-mate Mitch (Guthrie Jr.) had a problem so we’re hoping he can make it to the finish line. We stopped with him for a while, but that wasn’t much we could do to help.”
 



- Christine Fial -