- Spanish duo have made a solid start in the UAE event by completing the short prologue in sixth position in the Challenger category.
- “It was a good time, but very different from what awaits us in the following days. We finished sixth in the Challenger class, which puts us in a good starting position for tomorrow.”
The action has begun in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. The short 11-kilometer timed prologue in Al Ain was the first contact with the 34th edition of the rally. In a strategic day, Eduard Pons and his co-driver Jaume Betriu set the sixth fastest time in the Challenger category, a result that will allow them to face the first stage with a favorable starting position in the demanding sea of dunes over the next few days.
The opening day has allowed the duo from Lleida to make the first kilometers of the race with the new Taurus T3 Max unit of the Nasser Racing structure. “The car worked well, we had a good feeling and we were able to set a solid pace. Whenever we take a new vehicle there can be surprises, so we hope that the mechanics will respect us throughout the race,” explained Pons.
The prologue has little to do with what awaits them in the coming days; after today's fast tracks, the rally will enter the dunes and sand, which will test the navigation and endurance of the competitors.
“It was a good time trial, but very different from what we have ahead of us on the following days. Today we rode on fairly flat tracks, with some gravel and stones. It was not a complicated area and we reached the sixth position in Challenger, which leaves us in a good starting position for tomorrow, with references ahead and a route already somewhat marked in the dunes.”
Pons and Betriu face this challenge with the objective of completing a clean race and accumulating experience in a complicated terrain. The team will be looking to take advantage of each day to continue consolidating its position in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). “The important thing is to complete a clean race and, above all, to get into a rhythm in the dunes, as we lack experience in them,” concluded the driver.
This Sunday, February 23, the real action will begin with the first stage, which will take the competitors from Al Ain to Mezaira'a over a 400-kilometer course, 243 kilometers of which will be against the clock. It will be the first big test in the desert and will set the pace of the competition in a race that promises to be a great challenge.
Automatic translation of the Spanish version
Source: Pons Rallysport / Mediagé Comunicación
