The Dakar Rally, a racing event famous worldwide, is underway, and before the event, we talked with one of the participating teams, the Prodrive-BRX. The event, which began on 3 January and would run for 13 days, is the first event for the team. It’s a 4780-mile circular route through Saudi Arabia. Roma has entered every Dakar since 1996 and won it twice in 2004 and 2014, on a motorcycle and in a car respectively. Loeb, on the other hand, is a nine-time World Rally Champion.
When we asked Loeb, how you would compare this event with other competitions you have participated in, he said he likes it a lot. It’s a test for racers, because it only gives one chance to win, and not 12 rounds, like in rallying. He also added that the event is very long. Even if things aren’t much great, you can bounce back, if you haven’t lost a huge amount of time. He enjoys the challenge and considers this an adventure. You have to do 500kms days, and not know much about where you would be going, and you see things you won’t otherwise.
We also asked him if the event suits his driving style. He said he likes driving the way he feels, which is not what race-track allows you, as the data controls you. But here, you need a good experience to do well. You are not provided with any pace notes, so when you apply brakes, you almost feel guilty. This is when you think you are losing time, but then you get to know that others are applying brakes as well.
When asked about it he said, it was not his first option, but they were open, and he liked it. He was invited to see the design and the works and he was shown everything. When he saw the vehicle, the team’s ambition, and the way they have analyzed everything, he was impressed. He believes it’s good to be part of a new project.