Joan “Nani” Roma (ES) in his yellow MINI ALL4 Racing in the overall lead and a total of four MINI ALL4 Racing in the top five: the Monster Energy X-raid Team and the MINI brand have every reason to be satisfied with the first half of the 2014 Dakar Rally. Thanks to a well-prepared team of experienced drivers and the immaculate services of the MINI ALL4 Racing today is a well-deserved rest day for the entire team, especially so after Stéphane Peterhansel (FR) was able to take another day victory in his black MINI ALL4 Racing on Friday.
With Roma on top, Orlando Terranova (AR) and Peterhansel complete the MINI trio to lead the overall classifications while Nasser Al-Attiyah (QT) is fifth overall which rounds off a promising result in the team’s quest for its third consecutive Dakar title. During the 4,676 total kilometres – 2,522 of them driven against the clock – since the Dakar start on 5th January, the MINI ALL4 Racing has shown its core strengths. With the MINI ALL4 Racing’s reliability, power and agility the X-raid Team was able to capture four day victories in only six competitive days of the world’s toughest endurance rally.
“I am more than satisfied with the overall result at the halftime of the Dakar,” says Jochen Goller, Senior Vice President MINI. “And I would like to congratulate the whole team for its exceptional performance so far, although we know that it is still a long way to go until finish line in Valparaiso, Chile, on 18th January. However, the current result speaks for itself. The MINI ALL4 Racing has been constantly strong and reliable, something we were convinced of right from the MINI ALL4 Racing’s maiden Dakar start in 2011. Ever since, two Dakar titles and a promising performance during this year’s Dakar are proof enough that the MINI ALL4 Racing’s qualities are for real. Now, I am already looking forward to the second half of the 2014 Dakar.”
Another 2,901 timed kilometres lie ahead of the competitors when the Dakar commences on Sunday with leg seven, a loop of 533 competitive kilometres around the city of Salta (AR). More challenges are to follow shortly after with the crossing of the Andes leading into Chile and the infamous Atacama desert, the world’s driest region, plus more tricky dune section until the 2014 Dakar winner will be crowned in Valparaiso on 18th January.
