More ‘chicha’ for Sainz: They raise 8KW of power to Audi: “You are welcome”

The FIA ​​had already warned before the start of the Dakar that it could change the EoT (technology equivalence) and the maximum power of a car varies when the race starts if it notices, by studying the data of Audi, Toyota and BRX in the Dakar stages, having one car with better performance than the others. In this new technical regulation, the FIA he aims to even things out with contenders in the top class of cars. If they notice that there is a difference between one vehicle and another greater than 5 kW, they will change that margin with software or turbo adjustments. That’s what happened to him Audi from Carlos Sainz. The FIA ​​has limited its power in its preliminary regulations for this Dakar because they thought that the car with the four rings could be so much better than the others. But they were wrong and they corrected themselves for episode 5, because the FIA announced a power increase of 8kW (10.75 hp). It’s a decision Carlos He welcomes them with open arms, but isn’t jumping for joy, just welcoming them into battle for the remaining 10 episodes, though makes it clear that this won’t be a major or major improvement either. The rider is 32″55 behind Al-Attiyah after the problems he suffered in stage 3 and now faces the last 10 stages with this small improvement.

“Well, I’m not happy at all, because they (FIA) can measure and see. And the Audi ran a lot… well, it turns out it didn’t run that much. Welcome be. They have all the data to measure what makes one car faster and another and I think that if they give us 8 kW, which is 11 horsepower, then they will see that we are missing something. Every horse is welcome. I always say that I don’t want to bring more power, what I want is for the cars to be equal, the power and the weights, that even if we don’t reach the minimum of combustion cars (2000 , but Audi weighs 100 kg more because they have not reduced so far, although the regulations will not allow either because it sets a maximum weight for Audi of 2100), but at least, that the rule should also be the same” , said the man. from Madrid, making sure that this increase in power will not affect the reliability of its operation system because last year they went with more power, but noted that it is not a big change either.

“I am a little more optimistic, I will not deny it: they are welcome, they are 8 kW, not much, but all the more power is welcome. In theory we will have them from tomorrow”, he commented to the Spanish journalists present in bivouac.

SUMMARY OF PHASE 4

“Thankfully it rained, because that way we didn’t see any dust, but we did see a lot of cars. But overall, happy. Except for a puncture that cost us time and then a small problem with the pressure of a tire, which suddenly dropped and I’m not sure why. For the rest, happy. I would like to recover, but we haven’t recovered much yet”.

MAIN STAGES: ALL

“I attack. From yesterday, for me all the stages are key. I have to try to recover. Tomorrow (Thursday, stage 5) I will start in a better position, I will start in third and well, we will try to have a good stage ”.

SIDEWAYS ON A STEEP DUNE

“I really remember why we couldn’t go up and I tried again, I had to turn and I surfed the dune, until one moment I was able to go up. There are very steep slopes and the truth is that it is typical of this area of ​​Ha’il, there are many mountains to climb. I don’t know the level of passion, but a lot. In the video it seems less outstanding than in reality.

STEPS TO REMOVE

“Things have to happen and nothing is happening to me (laughs). That’s fine, for writing the Letter to the Magi. I will write now.

COMPLICATED NAVIGATION POINTS, MISSING KEYS?

“Maybe, what will happen is that you must always remember that in the first place, in the rain everything is very marked and when we go out behind the bikes and quads the fact is that since it rained the track is very visible I have to say that the ‘roadbook’ is much better than last year and here what it is about is that the race, as I told many times, I don’t want it to be decided because the ‘roadbook’ is wrong . The race has to decide because you go faster or navigate well, but now I will not ask for what I have criticized on other occasions. The ‘roadbook’ should be like this year. So far so good Everything is well marked, the Way Points are as they should be, the hidden WPs have increased the radius… now I won’t ask for what I criticized last year”.

HE ASSUMED WHAT HAPPENED IN STAGE 3

“I have assimilated, of course there is. I’m upset because losing an hour in Dakar is a lot. I lost 56 minutes against the first one. A piece that didn’t break and a piece that honestly makes me angry. But then it got complicated with the whole wheel issue, which took about 15 minutes, without the 15′, the truth is it would have been a lot to lose, but still close. Half an hour, the truth is it is far”.

PROBLEMS WHEN REPLACING THAT PART

“We could have been faster, it would have been better. These are things that eventually when it’s cold you realize they can be done better. It is true that we are not mechanics but we need to spend less time”.

PETERHANSEL, CARLOS IS ALREADY SAYING HE WASN’T ELIMINATED WHEN HE LOST HALF TIME.

“You didn’t believe me (laughs).

AND SAINZ AT HALF TIME, WASN’T HE REMOVED?

Yes, but there are fewer days left. And they have to be stages because that, like the second, which was crazy with stones and everyone punctures… and if you puncture two wheels it forces you to go slowly. And now if we enter the arena, there will be no holes. The puncture factor, which this year is being decisive at the start of the rally, that, for the moment, if we go to the sand area, it disappears”.