MADRID, Jan. 14 (SportsFinding) –
The Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (Toyota) was satisfied to have lived another “good day” in the Dakar Rally and celebrated having finished ninth, “a very good position” to start the marathon stage that will be “a big challenge and a new one adventure “where you must also” maintain a high level of concentration “by fatigue.
“It has been a good day and with another new experience since we have opened track because Serradori was going very slow and we have passed soon. We have been 300 km first, so I am happy because we have also ended up in a very good position for this Wednesday there are dunes, “Alonso stressed to the media after the day.
The ovetense, who lived “another day of punctures”, acknowledged that it is more the co-pilot who has “extra tension” when playing open track. “But Marc (Coma) has been great again and we were not going anywhere with doubts, and the car too,” he explained, noting that finally “it was not so much penalty” when finishing again among the top ten.
Alonso is going “a little more comfortable” in this second week, but he knows that key days are coming now. “On Wednesday we entered the marathon stage and we have two very hard days left and they will be decisive,” he warned.
“The marathon stage will be another new adventure in this Dakar. We will have to cross our fingers so that everything goes well and be two days clean of mechanical problems and errors. It is a big challenge, but we are ready,” added the Spaniard, who will try work with Coma “on the basic things of the car or those that most frequently can be broken” to face these two days.
The world champion of Formula 1 warned that the participants are going to run into “very difficult dunes with many surprises.” “I do not know how the stage is because they have not given us the 'roadbook' and we only have the indications that they give us in the 'briefing', but it always helps if you leave late,” he said.
“The ninth is an ideal position and everyone would love it, but I will not think that tomorrow is going to be my big day. If it is the dunes of the Abu Dhabi test there will be surprises because it will be harder, I will I got stuck three or four times and broke the front suspension twice, while the ones we've been through so far have been easy for me, “said the Spaniard, who anticipates” complicated stages for everyone. ” “We will sleep little, we will be tired and the error can come, we must maintain a high level of concentration,” he said.
Finally, despite being installed in the 'Top 10' of the general, still calm and without pressing. “I'm happy, but I don't have any goal in terms of position. In car races, you win or lose and it doesn't change much being sixth, so it doesn't obsess me, but I think we deserved to be in the 'Top 10', I wish let's not lose it, “he wanted.