MOTORING NEWS - Having just concluded its seventh and final test session in Morocco, Team Peugeot Total is ready and eager to tackle next year's South American Dakar classic from 6 to 20 January.
Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean Paul Cottret, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz as well as Cyril Despres and David Castera will line up at the start with a brand-new racing lion: the Peugeot 3008DKR Maxi. In the 2017 race, the manufacturer's teams took the top three places.
Ahead of the Peugeot "Dream Team" there is 10 000km of competition on the most difficult endurance race in the world. It is run through Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The route will take competitors through sand dunes, mountain passes and deserts, via 15 stages of stunning scenery and extremes of weather. The official rally route will be confirmed by the event organiser on 22 November.
While Team Peugeot Total's crews remain unchanged for 2018, their racing cars have seen important modifications to maximise performance. The cars also carry a new name: Peugeot 3008DKR Maxi.
The standard architecture is based on the road-going Peugeot 3008 SUV that won the 2017 European Car of the Year award and stays the same. All have two driven wheels powered by a 3,0-litre twin turbo engine. Most noticeably, the track has been widened by 10cm on each side to improve stability, while improvements have also been made to the suspension, enhancing driveability. Peugeot Sport's engineers and mechanics have been working hard to give the drivers the most reliable car possible for the formidable task ahead.
All the crews have tested the new Peugeot 3008DKR Maxi extensively, having completed more than 18 000km during sessions in Morocco, Portugal and France. The latest regulations do not favour Team Peugeot Total, with more weight added to the Peugeot while rivals have had extra weight taken off and been given more leeway generally. But as always on the Dakar, the biggest challenge is the event itself.
Between them, the Peugeot crews have amassed an unprecedented total of 19 Dakar victories on bikes and cars plus an astonishing 148 stage wins on the event, making them the most successful Dakar line-up of all time. The 2018 Dakar will mark the 40th anniversary of the event (which Peugeot has won six times in total, the first one in 1987 with the Peugeot 205T16 Grand Raid) and also the 10th anniversary of the Dakar in South America.
Peterhansel and his new Peugeot 3008 DKR Maxi takes to the air in Morocco.
"The modifications we have made resulting in the 3008DKR Maxi have proved to be effective up to now, but the Dakar remains a question mark, thanks to the sheer variety of terrain and challenges to overcome," says Bruno Famin, Peugeot Sport Director.
"The recent Rallye du Maroc reminded us once again that our rivals are extremely strong. Back in the workshop, Peugeot Sport's engineers have kept up a steady pace of work. Most of all, I'd like to underline the fantastic team spirit we benefit from in Team Peugeot Total. We are delighted to retain our 'dream team' of crews for the next Dakar, which offers us a perfect combination of performance and experience. As this will be the last Dakar for Peugeot, we would like to finish our amazing campaign on a high note. But as I always say, you can't count on anything in advance. The most difficult thing, after winning, is to do it again." Famin says that it was a fantastic feeling to win the Dakar again last year. "I felt so liberated! It's one of the best memories of my career, after such an intense but respectful fight with Sébastien. The problem is that the more you win, the more you want to keep on doing it.
"The next race will be even more special, with the 40th edition and my 29th participation. Who knows if it's going to be my last one or not? For me, the Dakar is really a question of balance, like a ritual that goes on all year. You recharge your batteries, you prepare yourself physically and mentally, the tension builds in September, that gives way to pure excitement in December when you just want to get out there and do some kilometres, then, when you finally arrive, you're flat-out from the off."
Stéphane Peterhansel, Team Peugeot Total driver, says, "The Peugeot 3008DKR Maxi is simply the best car I've ever driven. There's all that technology as well as the beauty of the carbon fibre parts, matched to reliability, performance and sheer driving pleasure. The goal for all of us at Team Peugeot Total is to make Peugeot win again and end the programme on a high."
'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Karoo, Hessequa news'
