73 replies to this topic

[Risil]

Looks like Roma's extension of his lead today was team orders. Mini has ordained the rally will finish Roma-Peterhansel-Al-Attiyah.

 

Stephane sounds annoyed in a low-intensity sort of way:

 

 

"The game is over. We've had a good laugh and enjoyed ourselves. Yesterday evening, the team asked us to not take any more risks," declared Stéphane Peterhansel once again, on completion of this eleventh special stage.

 

"It's a bit frustrating because we've done most of the hard work. But, if Mini wants to have three cars on the podium, at the speed at which we are driving out in front, it's easy to crash a car or even two in just one day. We know that this can happen, but I didn't think that they would do it".

[dweller23]

Wow, Carlton Kirby is sure pissed beyond anything. Hard to not agree with him, though.

[Gilles4Ever]

Looks like Roma's extension of his lead today was team orders. Mini has ordained the rally will finish Roma-Peterhansel-Al-Attiyah.

 

Stephane sounds annoyed in a low-intensity sort of way:

DAKAR RALLY @dakar

Live Feed - Peter catches Roma after 324 km dakar.com/dakar/2014/us/… #dakar2014 #dakarlive

 

A change in team directive, ignoring team directives or making a point and the end of the stage will revert to team instruction?

[Risil]

Stephane's not been talking to Sebastian Vettel, has he?

[Gilles4Ever]

DAKAR RALLY @dakar

Live Feed - Peterhansel wins the special and leads the general standings! dakar.com/dakar/2014/us/… #dakar2014 #dakarlive

 

 

So it's either a change in directive or an ignoring of directive?

[Rinehart]

What I love about teams issuing the most brazen, unwarranted and inglorious team orders (such as Dakar 2014, Austria 2002, Malaysia 2013) is that it nearly always splats the naive, greedy, and unsporting team and sponsors square in the face like a big wet turd. It is clear fans think that losing heroically is more worthy than winning by arrangement. Its all rather poetic.

[Risil]

"Hold position" is a pretty usual order, especially in endurance racing. The Mini team might've let Peterhansel know before he went on that epic charge though.

[dweller23]

Well, this still doesn't beat "coin flip" Dakar between Vatanen and Ickx - interesting that such a rebel like Ickx agreed to such arragement.

[Gilles4Ever]

So Nani Roma wins his second Dakar, Happy for him but I must ask, genuine win of was Peterhansel told to let him take back the lead today?

[MadYarpen]

My thoughts exactly. But what sense would it make for Mini?

[275 GTB-4]

There are very, very, few times when "Team Orders" make sense....

 

In this case its just a dagger through the heart of the organisers and fans

[MadYarpen]

Rally Raid News ‏@RallyRaidNews 8 min.

Peterhansel and Al-Attiyah waiting on stage 13 to let Nani Roma win the #Dakar Rally by #teamorders pic.twitter.com/BC9tyQghsx

 

 

I mean... SERIOUSLY?!

[Gilles4Ever]

I have no problem with team orders and it's up to Mini to use them if they so wish. It's their team and their money. Roma had a puncture on Friday and wasn't "racing" Peterhansel hence the change in position yesterday.

What I have a massive problem with is they let Peterhansel hunt Roma down this week taking back almost 40 minutes, it was thrilling to follow, then right at the end they said "sorry one of the greatest fightbacks is not going to happen. It was like turning off a crime thriller 5 minutes from the end. FFS they could have told the guy on Monday not to drive like a demon and protect the car.

[Jackmancer]

Well ever since the Dakar race left Africa, I didn't follow it on television, not actively at least. But this years lukewarm finish makes it a farce to me. I doubt I'll even go and read the reports online next year.

[Smile17]

I think Nani Roma deserved the win the most. And if it wasn't for the one-hour penalty, Al-attiyah would have won by 3 minutes.

Whatever, just a stunning victory for Marc Coma at the motos.Despite being sick for days.

 

 

[dweller23]

I have no problem with team orders and it's up to Mini to use them if they so wish. It's their team and their money. Roma had a puncture on Friday and wasn't "racing" Peterhansel hence the change in position yesterday.

What I have a massive problem with is they let Peterhansel hunt Roma down this week taking back almost 40 minutes, it was thrilling to follow, then right at the end they said "sorry one of the greatest fightbacks is not going to happen. It was like turning off a crime thriller 5 minutes from the end. FFS they could have told the guy on Monday not to drive like a demon and protect the car.

Yup, I agree. It was like watching one of the movies made by Cohen brothers.

[Risil]

But this years lukewarm finish makes it a farce to me. I doubt I'll even go and read the reports online next year.

 

Well that's exactly it. Surely Mini's PR aims would be better served by a thrilling Dakar + probable 1-2-3 instead of pissed off fans and drivers + definite 1-2-3.

 

Still, I'll probably follow it online next year because it's not like there's anything else on in early January.

[dweller23]

Well, Dakar is not all about the winners. I love how they present stories of guys who are in the back, they are the real heroes - they don't have huge teams behind their backs, they usually have very little resources. So for me, it's about those guys mostly. Dakar had its fair share of team orders in the past, so why another team orders deciding the result should change anything? It's just unfortunate, that Mini has so many cars and that they are dominating the whole thing...

 

Hopefully, next year Buggy will finally be more reliable and Sainz will be able to challenge Minis. Also, looking forward to see what Peugeot will bring.

[Risil]

Meh. If I follow a motor race I want to care about who wins. It's not like Dakar is the only event that has a share of drivers at the back with interesting/heroic/tragicomic stories.

 

Anyway, the point is that Mini allowed an unusually thrilling lead battle to develop among their drivers, then squashed it just before the climax.

[S3baman]

Stephane seems to be pissed and he has every right to. After having fought back from such a large deficit in the past week, in my eyes he has at least earned the right to have a fair fight. I get Mini's POV, having all 3 cars on the podium is great for them from a PR perspective, but Stephane could have easily won the rally without pushing as hard as he has the past few days. That would have have put the 1-2-3 in jeopardy imo.

[Rinehart]

I get Mini's POV, having all 3 cars on the podium is great for them from a PR perspective, 

But i don't think it is, to everyone, under these circumstances. 

[Gilles4Ever]

But i don't think it is, to everyone, under these circumstances. 

In their advertising they will promote Mini 1-2-3 Dakar 2014 and maybe 1 in 10000 people will know what actually went down.It only us who are more interested in the event than a multinationals PR exercise that feel aggrieved. 

[GBarclay]

I think Nani Roma deserved the win the most. And if it wasn't for the one-hour penalty, Al-attiyah would have won by 3 minutes.

Whatever, just a stunning victory for Marc Coma at the motos.Despite being sick for days.

 

 

 

 

Exceptional of Coma to dedicate the race to Kurt Casselli. (see the #66 on his windshield), a real nice gesture

 

Disappointed to see the Mini team tactics, and even worse seeing Quandt trip over himself trying to explain them. It would have been nicer to hear "I am team boss, these are my orders" 

 

Nasser must be bummed, that 60 minute penalty ruined the race for him. Good to see Saffer DeVilliers get a stage win. 

 

Missed how DeRoy lost the truck lead, but thought it appropriate that the organizers give the time back to the Russian driver on the final day. Missed the name of the Dutchman who is the 1st to complete the race in all 4 classes, wow, what an achievement. 

 

Someday I will make it to South America to spectate. Amazing event, and agree with one of the previous posters, that is really about the drivers and riders who never get seen on TV, those are the real heroes in my eyes. 

 

Only 50 odd weeks until the next Dakar. Thanks to all who played along in the thread

 

edited: using quote must be too hard for me

Edited by GBarclay, 24 January 2014 - 00:17.

[MikeV1987]

Forget pay drivers, cocaine is where it's at!

 

http://truckyeah.jal.../@matthardigree

 

French authorities have made "one of their largest cocaine seizures in years" finding 1.393 tons of the drug in plastic bags hidden in the tires of an 8x8 Dakar support truck belonging to the Spanish Epsilon Team.

Edited by MikeV1987, 24 February 2014 - 21:28.