The tenth stage of the Dakar Rally went well for Tim and Tom Coronel. With the help of the four-wheel drive in their Century CR7, the towering dunes were no match for the brothers. They were on course for a finish in the top 20, until an oil leak threw a spanner in the works.
The impressive Empty Quarter will be the setting for the final days of this years’ Dakar Rally. Three days in a row, the competitors will have to conquer hundreds of kilometers of imposing dunes, much to the delight of Tim and Tom. The twins set a good pace in the tenth stage on Thursday. “It was so awesome to drive in the dunes”, Tom reflects. “These were some tall dunes, really tall. Super steep and challenging, but we handled them well. Navigation was also relatively easy today. It wasn’t just left and right, but also up and down. Really steep from time to time.”
Frustration over oil leak
On the impressive slopes, the four-wheel drive of the new Century proved its worth, but Tim and Tom encountered some issues with the new car as well due to a leak in the hydraulic jack. “In the last part, the power steering failed due to a leak in the jack”, Tom explains. “The oil of the jack and the oil in the power steering run on the same system. At one point, we completely lost power steering and we had to stop. We ended up using brake fluid because, well, oil is oil.”
The time loss caused the brothers to drop back to 29th place in the daily ranking, just behind big names such as Matthias Ekström and Yazeed Al-Rajhi, but one place ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah. “It’s really disappointing that we had to stop, because it was going so well”, Tom continues. ‘I’m gutted – absolutely gutted.”
In addition to the loss of time, the leak also caused some physical discomfort. “Without power steering, it was tough steering”, says Tim. “The last nine kilometers I had to steer through the dunes without power steering, so I think my arms will feel quite sore tomorrow. They are already quite sore because the steering wheel jerked out of my hands a few times, which wasn’t great. But apart from that, everything went well. It’s great to be back in the dunes. It went well and we made It to the finish, so everything is under control.”
More dunes ahead
The eleventh stage on Thursday promises even more dunes. The 308-kilometer special stage will alternate between dunes, sandy terrain, and chotts — dry, fast salt flats. Bikes, cars, and trucks will each have their own route, which means no rapid assistance will be available during tomorrow’s stage.
Coronel Dakar Team is supported by: LKQ, MPM, Toolspecial, Optimal, ERU, Roordink Bedrijfswagens, Efulfilment.eu, Mascot Workwear, 4Brands, BS Forklifts, JBL, Keukenwarenhuis, DHG, Serengeti, Hella, Brondool, Chassis Parts, FEBO, MyFMS, Frits Dijk, Apple King, SuperB, P1, Copernica
