Peugeot Sport’s technical director Bruno Famin reveals the team’s aim for the 2017 Dakar Rally: to win the race again.
After your victory on the 2016 Dakar Rally, how does the team Peugeot feel in tackling the toughest rally of the world next January?
Our goal is certainly to win this 201 7 Dakar. We aim to get the crown again but we know it won’t be easy! We worked hard for a year, and prepared ourselves in the best way possible. But you are never completely ready for such a race as the Dakar Rally. This competition brings a lot of uncertainties – the race conditions, the weather, the secret route and the navigational challenges. Just like our drivers and co-drivers, all the team members are extremely motivated to go get the victory one more time. We have good assets such as a strong team spirit and our new racing beast, PEUGEOT 3008DKR. But we will tackle our 3rd Dakar with a lot of humility. The race format reguires staying focused 100% until the last kilometer We will also face fierce competitors, with Toyota and Mini presenting significant technical evolution and performing line-up.
Did you take a big risk in introducing the Peugeot 3008DKR, in replacement of 2016 Dakar and Silk Way Rally winning car, the 2008DKR?
No, it’s not about taking risk; we pursue our development plan, following closely the Launch of the new SUV Peugeot 3008.
lt‘s the 3rd year of Peugeot Dakar return program so it makes sense that the evolution scope is less important; there were fewer improvements between the 3008DKR and the glorious 2016 2008DKR than then with the previous 2015 2008DKR. Nevertheless, we achieved some significant work and went through every aspect of the car, down to the last detail.
We optimized all the aspects/functions of the car. The more visible is the new bodywork. We took benefit from the new SUV Peugeot 3008 Lines design to optimize the aerodynamic of our racing beast. The most significant change for our drivers / co-drivers is the air conditioner, but we also worked on some important issues such as reliability and performance; the drivability (delivering great torgue at Lower revs, for a guicker engine answer), the power, to minimize the impact of the new mandatory air restrictor (a loss of 20hp) and the suspensions geometry (to limit the car movements, which is a key element in off-road races). We tested the 3008DKR for more or less 18 000 km, during testing sessions and Morocco Rally.
What do you think about the 2017 Dakar Rally route?
The organizers announced the most complicated route since the Dakar Rally moved in South America. Comparing to the 2016 edition, there are more stages in high altitude, with 5 complete days spent around 4000 m height! This will be tough for the bodies and the machines. Not only for the drives/co-drivers but for the whole Team Peugeot Total. There will be very long stages, with 2 days of 1000 km journey each. One marathon stage deserved its name – of 1500 km to tackle, 800 kilometers are in timed section.
A.S.O also makes the promise of evolutions in the route typology, with more dunes than last year but also trial sections! And finally, the strict navigational rules (Control Way Point, Limited GPS tools) will require the drivers/co-drivers to be constantly 100% focused and be favorable to twist and fates. The pure speed won’t be necessarily the key! Let’s see, the race will speak for itself! For sure, a lot will happen. The 2017 Dakar hasn’t started yet, but is already exciting!
