Top drivers move to Mini team
With Peugeot closing its Dakar Rally programme following three consecutive victories (2016-18), there’s been a mass movement of leading drivers as the field shapes up for the 2019 event.
Former Peugeot drivers Carlos Sainz, Stephane Peterhansel and Cyril Despres have joined the Germany-based X-raid Mini team for the January 2019 event that will take place exclusively within Peru rather than travelling through a larger portion of South America.
Between them Frenchmen Despres and Peterhansel and Spaniard Sainz have an incredible 20 Dakar wins and now look to increase this tally with each electing to drive a Mini John Cooper Works Buggy under the team banner of X-raid Mini JCW Team.
Devised and built by X-raid, the Mini John Cooper Works Buggy first saw racing action at the 2018 Dakar after being developed as an alternative to the Mini All4 Racing version. The Buggy exploits advantages in the regulations for two-wheel-drive vehicles with lighter weight and more suspension travel permitted than the four-wheel-drive models.
The Mini John Cooper Works Buggy is powered by a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder diesel engine generating and outputs of 250kW and a maximum torque of 800Nm.
The transmission and drivetrain as well as the engine’s turbocharging technology are based on the BMW TwinPower Turbo engine. The Buggy has a specially designed tubular steel frame providing maximum protection for driver and passenger in extreme situations with a specifically designed body made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) and Kevlar stretched over the frame.
Despres has won the Dakar five times on motorcycles (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013) before taking to four-wheels in 2015. In less than three years he has already achieved four-wheel rally success, the most notable is twice winning the demanding Silk Way Rally (2016, 2017).
Sainz is the reigning Dakar champion taking his second victory in 2018 following his first success in 2010.
Peterhansel carries the nickname “Mr Dakar” for 13 very good reasons — 13 is the number of times the Frenchman has won the Dakar Rally.
Like so many Dakar greats, Peterhansel began his Dakar career on two wheels and achieved six wins before switching to four wheels to claim a further seven Dakar titles. Peterhansel has two previous wins with the X-raid Mini team driving the Mini All4 Racing to victory in 2012 and 2013.
“This trio is obviously a dream cast, which brings a wealth of experience,” said Sven Quandt, CEO of X-raid.
“Carlos’ support during the development of Mini John Cooper Works Buggy has taken us forward in terms of its set-up.
“Stephane is an old friend and I am delighted to have him back in the team. Cyril has shown what he is capable of and I am intrigued to see how he puts his ability into practice with X-raid.”
Despres and Sainz have been the first of the three drivers to taste race action in the updated Buggy by competing in Rallye du Maroc round 10 of the 2018 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup which is being staged in Morocco this week. The 2019 Dakar Rally is set to start on January 6 with the route following a loop format with the start and finish in Lima. It will finish on January 17, making it three days shorter than this year’s event.