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Total
Pharaons Rally 2006 Special-Newssection
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This is the single-news section of the
marathonrally.com rally-live special of the Total Pharaons
Rally 2006. To see all news please use the link under the
article or navigate with the left main-navigation.
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Pharaons 2006: A life-sized test for Dessoude and Yvan Muller.
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After a first test day on September 12th at the Galicet circuit, near Paris, Yvan Muller will take part in two legs of the Pharaons Rally, in order to prepare for his forthcoming participation in the Dakar. A unique opportunity for this rally raid rookie to test himself in race conditions, whilst discovering the potential of his car and the very different atmophere of a cross-country rally.
For André Dessoude, Egypt was not a random choice: "It seemed a good idea to let Yvan test under race conditions before the Dakar, instead of concentrating on ‘traditional’ test sessions, and the Pharaons Rally is an excellent opportunity. Yvan will only take part in two legs, before returning to Spain for the next round of the FIA WTCC. But these two days will be very important. They will allow both the team and the driver to place themselves in a real racing situation. Moreover, Egypt provides the ideal terrain. The same sort of trails will be used in the Dakar, and Yvan needs to practice driving in the sand.
Having a co-driver alongside him will also be a new experience, even if Yvan has already taken part in a couple of asphalt rallies, as a rally-raid co-driver has quite a different function, and you have to learn to work together. During the first test session at the Galicet, after just five laps to get used to the car, Yvan had a big smile on his face. His ability to set up a car will be vital in terms of the evolution of the vehicle. He has true skills in this area, and is able to analyse data well. These are qualities in which I am particularly interested. To evolve, you need a good driver, and Yvan appears to be the perfect candidate."
As for Yvan Muller, he is delighted to be able to try out this area of motorsport in such conditions: "During the first test session on September 12th, I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the car. We tried a number of different set-ups during the day, which allowed me to get a glimpse of the potential of the vehicle. These two days in Egypt will be a life-sized test, which will, first and foremost, be a learning experience. I have no aims in terms of performance; I will be there to get as many kilometres under my belt as possible. I will increase my pace slowly, without taking any risks. I’ll also learn to work with the navigator.
To share an experience like that must be fun from a personal point of view. I have been thinking seriously about the Dakar for two years, but I only wanted to try it in the right conditions. Meeting André was decisive, and everything happened quite naturally. After two hours, we’d come to an agreement ! I still have everything to learn about the Dakar, and that is what pleases me about this challenge. Motorsport is my job, but it is also what I am most passionate about."
Team Dessoude will therefore be busy on the Pharaons Rally, and, in the context of their partnership with Oreca, will have the help of an engineer to help Dominique Peres, the team’s Technical Director. Fabian Lurquin will be in the right-hand seat for this Egyptian test, but Yvan’s co-driver for the Dakar has not yet been chosen.
2006/09/29 | 19:29 CET | Editor: MR/Dessoude
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