COMMUNIQUE 13 6 January 2002 Atar - Rest Day

Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero Team Nippon Mitsubishi Oil Ralliart H. Masuoka / P. Maimon

As predicted, Mitsubishis continue to dominate the Arras-Madrid-Dakar Rally, with four Pajeros/Monteros holding the top four positions at the halfway point in Atar, Mauritania. And just like last year, Japanese driver Hiroshi Masuoka holds a commanding lead, 11m 46s over Mitsubishi team mate and fellow Japanese driver Kenjiro Shinozuka. Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero Evolution Team Nippon Mitsubishi Oil Ralliart K. Shinozuka / T. Delli-Zotti At the hot, dusty desert outpost of Atar, the remaining 129 bikes, 84 cars and 29 trucks parked up for the day to allow the competitors to catch their collective breath, while mechanics worked feverishly on their machines to ready them for the forthcoming week. After 5992 km of driving through France, Spain, Morocco and Mauritania and 1574 km of special stages, the competitors have certainly earned their rest, and the cars, bikes and trucks have done well to make it this far. But another week of the same has yet to come before they can truly relax at Dakar. For Masuoka, the feeling of déjà vu was palpable. He was in almost exactly the same position last year, and as the rally wore on, he became increasingly certain of victory, only to have it snatched cruelly away by questionable tactics by his rivals. In Africa, it seems anything goes, and certainly anything can happen. Nothing is assured until you cross the finish line by the Rose Lake near Dakar! Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero Evolution Team Mitsubishi Ralliart J. Kleinschmidt / A. Schulz This year, Mitsubishi’s rivals have wilted in the heat and dust of the desert. Belgian Gregoire de Mevius had mounted a challenge in a Nissan, but with engine problems at Zouerat, he was forced to drive section to Atar on the main road, missing checkpoints and gaining 25 hours in penalties, dropping him from third to completely out of the running. But with rivals in scarce supply, will Masuoka have an easy ride to Dakar, supported by his teammates? Apparently not, as he revealed at Atar: "There will be no team orders. We are all professional drivers and have different sponsors. It will be a battle to the end". Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero Team Mitsubishi Ralliart J.P. Fontenay / G. Picard Conducted by Dominique Serieys, the Frenchman put in charge of the Mitsubishis after the untimely death of Ullrich Brehmer, the four top Mitsubishi drivers have played the Dakar to perfection so far this year. On the short, opening stages in Europe, no chances were taken, and lesser players were allowed their brief moments of glory. Experienced competitors such as Masuoka, Shinozuka, Jutta Kleinschmidt and Jean-Pierre Fontenay knew better than to try to hard in the mud of La Souterraine or Madrid, or the bumpy, twisting dry stage at Chateaux Lastours. But once in Africa, the Mitsubishi onslaught began. On the first 85 km stage between Rabat and Er Rachidia in Morocco, Masuoka grabbed the lead for Mitsubishi, followed closely by Shinozuka. Kleinschmidt, last year’s winner ended the leg fourth overall in he Pajero/Montero, while Frenchman Fontenay was 10th. Portugal’s Carlos Sousa managed an impressive fifth overall in his L200, and the only fly in Mitsubishi’s ointment was the Nissan driven by De Mevius pressing hard on the heels of the leading Mitsubishis in third. Mitsubishi L 200 Team Mitsubishi Galp TMN Chesterfield C. Sousa / V. Jesus De Mevius continued to nibble at Mitsubishi’s lead for the next few days, but Masuoka continued to grow in confidence, day-by-day. The others, meanwhile, suffered niggling problems, such as Shinozuka who for the last three days before Atar complained of intermittent power-steering problems, and Kleinschmidt who picked up a one minute penalty for accidentally speeding in a village. She also suffered driveshaft problems between Ouarzazate and Tan-Tan on the first part of the first big marathon section. On the final run into Atar, both Shinozuka and Fontenay lost time with punctures, which allowed Masuoka to tighten his grip on the lead. By this time, Kleinschmidt was up to third, and De Mevius was nowhere to be seen after his engine problems. Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero Team Ralliart - France L. Alphand / A. Debron Sousa, meanwhile, reached Atar in sixth in the L200. Driving a similar car, Saeed Al-Hajri of Qatar had been running well inside the top 10, but he rolled the machine before he got to Atar and dropped back to eighth, allowing former World Downhill Ski Champion, Luc Alphand into seventh place in his Diesel Pajero/Montero. Israelis Nir and Eran Barkat had reached ninth as the rally stopped for its rest day in Atar, an impressive result, and almost as impressive as the fact that eight of the top 10 were all Mitsubishis. The only other cars in the running were the remaining works Nissan of Stéphane Peterhansel in fifth, and Manuel Plaza Perez in 10th, also in a Nissan. Mitsubishi L200 Team MMC Qatar Rally S. Al-Hajri / M. Stevenson While the Mitsubishi drivers could relax today in the knowledge that one of them will surely win, no-one knows which one. Realistically, both Shinozuka and possibly Kleinschmidt are the only ones who can tackle Masuoka. Fontenay, at almost an hour behind, is very much the outsider. But as Masuoka has already noted, they will still be trying very hard, and the result is very far from clear cut. The competition resumes tomorrow with a stage looping out into the Sahara once more, before the survivors return to Atar. It will be a tough day as the leading Mitsubishis slug it out for the lead. With hundreds of dunes to cross, difficult navigation and bumpy camel grass sections in a long, 366 km loop to the south and west of Atar, who knows what will happen next, and there’s plenty more to come in the forthcoming week!