Köln, Germany,
05
October
2022
|
12:06
Europe/Amsterdam

Power performance on Stage 3 brings valuable points for TGR

Summary
  • Stage victory for Nasser and Mathieu
  • Maximum points gained in W2RC

Stage 3 of the 2022 Rally of Morocco saw TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel reap maximum points towards the inaugural World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). The pair brought their Dakar-winning GR DKR Hilux T1+ to the finish line near the town of Laayoune in a time of 2hr 58min 24sec, besting their nearest competition by 1min 21sec over the stage.

The timed section comprised 324 km of varied terrain, including small dunes punctuated by sharp rocky traverses. There was only one puncture on the stage for Nasser and Mathieu today, and the pair made the best of their good fortune, winning the stage and reaping 5 points towards the W2RC.

This result is in line with the strategy identified by the team after losing 53min 58sec during Stage 2 of the event, focussing on solid stage results for the remainder of the rally. The rough terrain between the dunes near the town of Laayone have proven a stern test for all the competitors, but the GR DKR Hilux T1+ showed that, with fewer punctures, it has what it takes to run at the head of the field.

There are two stages to come in the 2022 Rally of Morocco, with the rally now heading back towards its starting point. Stage 4 will lead the crews from Laayone back towards the town of Tan Tan, where they overnighted on October 2nd. The stage features a timed section of 350 km, with liaisons totalling 209 km. A shorter final stage will follow on October 6th, bringing the rally back to its point of origin at Agadir, on the Moroccan coast.

 

QUOTES:

Glyn Hall, Team Principal: 

“Nasser and Mathieu had a really good day today, despite another tough stage. The terrain in this part of Morocco is especially punishing, with the mix of sandy dunes and sharp rocks testing our crew with each passing kilometre. With that said, we clearly found the balance today, and the additional W2RC points are most welcome.”

Nasser Al-Attiyah: 

“The Rally of Morocco has often tested us, but the last few days have shown just how tough the terrain and the event can be. Yesterday, we lost too much time after our four punctures. But today, things went in our favour and we managed to win the stage.”

Mathieu Baumel: 

“What a great result today! We bounced back from losing more than 50min on Stage 2, to winning Stage 3 – exactly what we needed to do in terms of our W2RC aspirations. Tomorrow is another tough stage, but we will again focus on scoring as many points for the championship as possible.”

 

STAGE 3 RESULTS:

1.        N. Al-Attiya (QAT) / M. Baumel (FRA)              TOYOTA GAZOO Racing   TGR DKR Hilux T1+       2:58:24

2.        G. Chicherit (FRA) / A. Winoq (FRA)                GCK Motorsport                 Hunter                            +1min 21sec

3.        J. Przygonski (POL) / A. Monleon (ARG)         X-Raid MINI                          MINI                               +2min 1sec

4.        O. Terranova (ARG) / A. Haro Bravo (ESP)      Bahrain Raid Extreme         Hunter                           +6min 20sec

5.        E. Van Loon (NLD) / S. Delaunay (FRA)           Overdrive Racing                Toyota Hilux                  +6min 37sec

 

CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 3:

1.         G. Chicherit (FRA) / A. Winoq (FRA)                 GCK Motorsport               Hunter                           10:01:25

2.         O. Terranova (ARG) / A. Haro Bravo (ESP)      Bahrain Raid Extreme       Hunter                          +47sec

3.         S. Loeb (FRA)/ F. Lurquin (BEL)                         Bahrain Raid Extreme       Hunter                          +4min 50sec

4.         N. Al-Attiyah (QAT) / M. Baumel (FRA)            TOYOTA GAZOO Racing  TGR DKR Hilux T1+     +27min 37sec

5.         M. Prokop (CZE) / V. Chytka (CZE)                    Benzina Orlen Team         Ford Raptor                  33min 36sec

 

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