Sainz set to step out of comfort zone to defend Dakar Rally title

BISHA, Saudi Arabia: Veteran Spanish driver Carlos Sainz made history when he won his fourth Dakar Rally last year and is confident that he has what it takes to challenge for victory in this season´s gruelling race in Saudi Arabia.

Sainz´s fourth title came when he was 61 -- the oldest winner of the race and the first Dakar victory for German outfit Audi. Now 62, the Spaniard -- the father of Ferrari Formula One driver Carlos Sainz Jr -- recently became a grandfather, but the two-time world rally champion known as ´El Matador´ professes to be in fine form.

“Personally I´ve done everything I can to arrive in a good physical condition and I will give everything to try to have a good race,” Sainz said at the launch of his new Ford Raptor car. “We are comfortable, we have done all the jobs we can.”

Sainz added: “I expect first of all to enjoy, to have really good fun driving. “I expect to have not so many problems and I expect to fight for the victory. I´m happy to help to try to win this challenge, the Dakar.”

No one has managed to take a machine fresh from the factory to victory since Ari Vatanen, who triumphed with the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 in 1987 and then with the 405 --its technical heir -- in 1989, followed by the Citroen ZX in 1991.

But that hasn´t stopped Sainz´s rivals also choosing to blood new cars over the 5,115 kilometres (3,178 miles) of specials mapped out over 12 stages between Bisha and Shubaytah. Five-time winner Nasser al-Attiyah of Qatar and France´s nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb will be piloting Dacia Sandriders, while Spain´s one-time Dakar winner Nani Roma will also be in a Ford.

One notable absentee from the action, however, will be France´s ´Mr Dakar´, 14-time champion Stephane Peterhansel, who hung up his keys last year. In the bike section, two-time winner Ricky Brabec (Honda) will be back to defend his title, with the American´s main rival likely to be Botswana´s Ross Branch (Hero), second last year. A 434-strong colourful caravan made up of cars, bikes, quads and trucks sets out from Bisha with an opening prologue on Friday.