Isidre Esteve and Txema Villalobos strictly follow their road book in the Dakar. In the first competition special of the race, held this Saturday between Al-Ula and Al Henakiyah, with 414 timed kilometers, those of the Repsol Toyota Rally Team have risen to 31st absolute position, 26th in the Ultimate category and 19th among T1+ cars like yours. And this despite the fact that in this first special they have had to deal with an electronic setback in the accelerator that has hindered their pace.
They began to notice the problem with the accelerator from the first kilometer of the time trial and it has especially affected them in the last 80 kilometers. “We didn't know if we could continue, because the car stopped at the exit of all the corners; In the end, he even stopped on the straights,” explains Esteve. Let us remember that the pilot from Ilerda drives with the adapted controls on the steering wheel, including the accelerator, and it was in this system where the fault was located. This gives even more merit to his time in the special, 5 hours and 12 minutes, 36 minutes from the lead. A record that would have been very respectable even under normal conditions.
In this way, the team with the colors of Repsol, MGS Seguros, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing España and KH-7 has once again confirmed its competitiveness in the 2024 edition of the toughest race in motorsport. “I feel very good with the car. We run a lot and we feel safe. There is a lot of difference compared to last year. Everything we have worked on, I am even surprised that it has given such good results, that I feel so good with the car”, assesses the driver from Ilerda.
As for the day's special, it consisted of two very different parts. “Until kilometer 225 they were sandy tracks, fast, very nice to drive. Then, from there until the end, they were very slow dirt tracks, with stones, very broken terrain, with a very slow pace all the time. We had to be very careful not to puncture, and we haven't punctured,” he says.
“I hope that tonight we solve the problem we have had and that starting tomorrow we can continue enjoying the race. We will have to change the accelerator potentiometer or the electronic control unit; It has to be that,” ventures the pilot from Oliana (Lleida).
In any case, the most positive thing about the day is that, despite the problem that has affected them throughout the stage, the Repsol Toyota Rally Team completed the special mixed with the large group of leaders, including the fastest trucks. The navigation of co-pilot Txema Villalobos also had a lot to do with it, “perfect throughout the entire stage,” in the words of Isidre.
This Sunday, the second stage will run between Al Henakiyah and Al Duwadimi, with 662 kilometers in total, of which 470 are timed special, in which dirt tracks will predominate and the first dunes of the competition will also appear.
Automatic translation of the Spanish version available on www.todoterreno.pt
Source: Repsol Toyota Rally Team's official press release
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