Wolfsburg (24 June 2009). The first leg of the Rallye dos Sertões in Brazil ended with places one to three for Volkswagen. The newly formed factory duo Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) celebrated a stage win straight in its first rally run. Second place went to Maurício Neves/Eduardo Bampi (BR/BR) ahead of Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz Senra (E/E). The 256-kilometre special stage from Goiânia to Santa Helena de Goiás took the contenders across numerous hilltops, quick gravel stretches and narrow passages through cattle gates, and required a precise driving style and navigation with pinpoint accuracy of the crews in the three factory prepared and factory fielded Race Touareg vehicles. On Thursday, 469 kilometres from Santa Helena de Goiás to Cidade de Goiás are on the agenda.
Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)"By clinching his first stage win in the Race Touareg, Nasser Al-Attiyah immediately showed why we signed him at Volkswagen. The result also demonstrates that he is already working in harmony with his co-driver Timo Gottschalk. Maurício Neves and Eduardo Bampi have perfectly integrated themselves into the team as well.”
#301 – Carlos Sainz (E), 3rd place leg / 3rd place overall
"On the first leg it took us some time to get into the right rhythm. By the end of the special stage, though, we had become more accustomed to the highly detailed and in some respects unusual roadbook. Unfortunately, by that time, we had lost five or six minutes at the beginning of the stage due to a navigation mistake.”
#302 – Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), 1st place leg / 1st place overall
"Our first leg in the Race Touareg – and we’ve already got a lot of things to report. My co-driver Timo Gottschalk and I found a good rhythm from the outset although we started in tenth place and had to overtake about six cars. Of course starting out with a stage victory is a great thing. Unfortunately, we tipped the car onto its side during the spectators stage. But it’s hardly damaged.”
#309 – Maurício Neves (BR), 2nd place leg / 2nd place overall
"My first leg in the Race Touareg was simply incredible. I’ve been particularly impressed with the power of the TDI engine that develops seemingly infinite power in any situation. Together with the excellent suspension and direct feedback this was like entering a whole new world. And finishing in second place was the icing on the cake.”
Number of the day The Volkswagen engineers collected 58 MB just of sensor data per vehicle on the first leg of the Rallye dos Sertões. For comparison, this value equates to about 16,000 A4-size pages filled with nothing but text.
Interim standings after leg 01, Goiânia (GO) – Santa Helena de Goiás (GO)256 km/327.5 km SS 01/total
Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D). Volkswagen Race Touareg 2, 2h 30m 28.1 (1), 2h 30m 28.12
Maurício Neves/Eduardo Bampi (BR/BR), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2, 2h 34m 03.1 (2), + 3m 35.03
Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz Senra (E/E), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2, 2h 35m 52.5 (3), + 5m 24.44 Jean Azevedo/Youssef Haddad (BR/BR), Mitsubishi L200, 2h 48m 42.0 (4), + 18m 13.95 Romeu Franciosi/Deco Muniz (BR/BR), Sherpa, 2h 48m 44.1 (5), + 18m 16.0
Volkswagen Motorsport
