The Dakar, this legendary race, continues to surprise us with its twists and turns. After a first week marked by tiny gaps between the leaders, the yo-yo effect has emerged as the true protagonist of this edition. How to navigate this game of strategy where each stage can overturn the standings?
A tight overall classification
After the first week of competition, the overall classification of the Dakar remained incredibly tight, with only 20 minutes separating the top six drivers. However, the daily results have been unpredictable, illustrating the famous “pendulum effect”: a well-positioned driver one day could find themselves outside the top 10 the next. It’s a bit like a game of dominoes, where each piece can topple the whole.
The stage winner must start first the following day and take on navigation, while the subsequent competitors can follow in their tracks, thus gaining speed. “From the outside, we devise a strategy to stay rather in the middle of the pack and avoid the yo-yo effect,” explains Tiphanie Isnard, team principal of Dacia, to Motorsport.com. Her pragmatic approach seems to be paying off: “It works. You just have to manage intelligently.”
The dynamics of racing
At the end of the sixth stage, Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia) led the overall classification, but with a mixed record: he had only won one stage during this period. In contrast, Mitch Guthrie (Ford) shone by winning two stages, although he lost 44 minutes during the fourth. This perfectly illustrates the yo-yo effect: a good start does not guarantee a good finish.
“It takes a bit of time to understand how all this evolves,” comments Matthew Wilson, head of Ford. “That’s probably what makes this sport so popular, and attracts so many entrants in the Ultimate category: the regulations allow different drivers to win a stage each day.”
For semi-professional drivers, winning a stage at the Dakar remains a resounding achievement. Take the example of Martin Prokop (Ford), who has secured two third places and one second place: valuable performances for his sponsors and for his media visibility.
#202 Toyota Gazoo Racing W2Rc Toyota: Henk Lategan, Brett Cummings
An emerging Ultimate T1+ class
The Ultimate T1+ class is thriving. Toyota, Ford, Dacia, X-raid, and Century seem to be competing on equal footing thanks to a standardised torque curve and a maximum speed limited to 170 km/h, which balances performance. The result is striking: more than 15 cars can contend for victory in a single stage.
“The starting position makes a huge difference,” emphasises Sébastien Loeb to Motorsport.com. “Before, three or four cars would contest the top of the standings, and it would remain tight. Even if one opened the track, the last could finish fourth. Today, there are 15 or 20 fast cars. The gaps come more from the position on the track than from the driver.”
Should time bonuses be introduced like in motorcycles?
“It’s complicated when you have an unfavourable starting position,” admits Loeb. In the motorcycle category, a bonus system has existed for several years: leading riders who ensure navigation receive time bonuses, compensating for their disadvantage of opening the route.
The question then arises for cars: would a similar system be relevant? Opinions within the bivouac are divided. “Maybe, but it would complicate understanding even more,” estimates Loeb. “Even today, those who do not closely follow our sport already struggle to understand the rules. Adding that would make things even more complex.”
However, the Dacia driver remains open to the idea: “A bonus system could be a solution. I’m not the organiser, so it’s not my decision, but it’s conceivable.” His teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah shares this view: “If you are the one opening the road, you could receive a bonus – why not? Suddenly, everyone would want to open the track.”
#225 Ford M-Sport Ford: Carlos Sainz Sr, Lucas Cruz
Nuanced opinions on the bonus system
On the Ford side, Carlos Sainz takes a more nuanced view: “I’m not really in favour. What I don’t like is that as long as the motorcycles are ahead of us, everything is fine. The real ‘yo-yo’ effect appears when there are no more motorcycles in front. We could give a bit more space, but it’s probably not necessary.”
Generally, cars start behind motorcycles and can follow their tracks. Only the four marathon stages take place on separate courses, where the leading vehicles must navigate without markers.
“For motorcycles, it’s a problem every day; for us, it would only concern two or four stages,” highlights Sven Quandt, head of X-raid. “So the question arises: is such a system really relevant for just a few stages?”
“Ideally, the courses should always be separate; that would be fair. If we only apply it to four stages, we need to ask: does it really make sense? That’s the real question: whether it would be fair and mathematically coherent in the end.”
“This topic will surely come up after the Dakar, as for spectators, it is very difficult to understand that a driver loses just because they open the road. It doesn’t make much sense, and it’s almost impossible to win two days in a row if navigation is complex.”
Follow all the news from the motorsport championships to not miss any developments in the world of rallying and beyond.
