Desafio Ruta 40 stage 3 victory for TGR’s Nasser and Mathieu

A better road position certainly helped TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s (TGR) Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel on their way to securing victory in the third stage of the Desafio Ruta 40, Round 4 of the 2023 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). The pair recorded a clean run with their Dakar-winning GR DKR Hilux T1+, extending their lead in the overall standings.

The special stage consisted of 265 km of tough terrain, including tight and narrow sections, punctuated by tricky dune crossings. But, where the TGR crew opened the road on Stage 2, they now had the benefit of starting lower down the order. This meant that there were not only some tracks to follow, but also that the tough bushes that had played havoc with their tyres on the previous stage, had been flattened somewhat by the cars ahead.

Even so, the terrain was still challenging, and the crew had to stay on their toes in order to maintain a good pace. Nasser remarked that the rear suspension setup of his works Hilux T1+ still wasn’t quite to his liking, but even so, the Qatari completed the stage in just 2hr 54min 53sec – 1min 41sec clear of a hard-charging Yazeed Al Rahji and co-driver Timo Gottschalk, in their privately entered Toyota Hilux T1+.

But Yazeed was not the only driver hot on the heels of the TGR crew. Juan Yacopini went third-fastest, in his Toyota Hilux T1+, while two more Toyota crews – Amos/Ceci and Krotov/Shiltsov – managed to round out the Top 5.

In the overall standings, Nasser and Mathieu have extended their lead over Yacopini/Oliveras to 10min 28sec, taking off some of the pressure caused by the multiple punctures they suffered in Stage 2.

With three stages now behind them, the TGR crew are in a strong position, more than 10min clear of their nearest competition, with two stages to go. Nasser and Mathieu continue to build their advantage in the W2RC standings, too, though Yazeed is keeping them honest, by posting highly competitive stage results in his own right.

Having won Stage 3, Nasser and Mathieu will open the road on Stage 4, which may pose similar challenges to those experienced in Stage 2, where they suffered five punctures due to the tough, dry brush that marked the stage.

The penultimate stage of the event is up next, and will take the crews on another trek into the dunes surrounding the Argentine town of Belén. The timed portion of the stage will be 345km in length, and is expected to bring another mix of tight terrain, with tricky dunes that are sure to add pressure for the co-drivers. Liaisons totalling 234km will also be used, in order to link the stage to the bivouac at Belén. The Desafio Ruta 40 is scheduled to conclude on Friday, 1 September, with a stage totalling 563 km (258 km special; 305 km liaison) which will bring the crews to the finish in the city of Salta.

QUOTES
Alain Dujardyn, TGR W2RC Team Principal: “Stage 3 of the Desafio Ruta 40 was a great one for not only TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, but also for Toyota as a brand. While we are pleased that Nasser and Mathieu managed to extend their overall lead, it was fantastic to see five Toyota Hilux T1+ occupy the Top 5 stage positions.”

Nasser Al-Attiyah: “The stage was very difficult today, and it was tough to find the route in places. But we had a good run today, which was important to us. Now, we look forward to the next stage, where will unfortunately have to open the route again.”

DESAFIO RUTA 40 STAGE 3 RESULTS:

1.     N. AL-ATTIYAH (QAT) / M. BAUMEL (FRA), TOYOTA GAZOO RACING, 2:54:53
2.       Y. AL RAJHI (SAU) / T. GOTTSCHALK (DEU), OVERDRIVE RACING, +01:41
3.       J. YACOPINI (ARG) / D. OLIVERAS (ESP), OVERDRIVE RACING, +10:11
4.       E. AMOS (ITA) / P. CECI (ITA), OVERDRIVE RACING, +17:07
5.       D. KROTOV (KGZ) / K. ZHILTSOV (ISR), OVERDRIVE RACING, +17:13

DESAFIO RUTA 40 STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 3:

1.     N. AL-ATTIYAH (QAT) / M. BAUMEL (FRA), TOYOTA GAZOO RACING, 9:38:18
2.       J. YACOPINI (ARG) / D. OLIVERAS (ESP), OVERDRIVE RACING, +10:28
3.       Y. AL RAJHI (SAU) / T. GOTTSCHALK (DEU), OVERDRIVE RACING, +18:12
4.       M. GUTHRIE (USA) / K. WALCH (USA), RED BULL JUNIORS, +34:49
5.       E. AMOS (ITA) / P. CECI (ITA), OVERDRIVE RACING, +36:36