The image of the ecstatic mechanics pounding on his VW Touareg's bonnet and roof at the finish line in the San Juan bivouac leaves no doubt: unless a disaster happens, Nasser Al-Attiyah will be the 2011 Dakar Rally winner.
Such is the state of affairs following Stage 11, in which Nasser's main rival, Volkswagen Motorsport team-mate Carlos Sainz, lost about one hour repairing his right-front wheel after hitting a hole.
Al-Attiyah now leads another team-mate, former winner Giniel de Villiers, by nearly 52 minutes, with just one ‘serious’ stage to go, Friday's 555km trek from San Juan to Cordoba.
'It's time for a conservative pace…' – Nasser Al-Attiyah
“I think I'll let [co-driver] Timo [Gottschalk] drive now,” joked Nasser, referring to his need to take things “very easy” on Stage 12.
“I do have a big lead now, so it's time for a conservative pace tomorrow," he adds. “There are still two tough days to come.”
As for Sainz's situation, Al-Attiyah was philosophical. “That's rallying. He was pushing hard to catch up and these things can happen.”
Following Friday's SS12, the 2011 Dakar wraps up on Saturday with a short 181km run from Cordoba to the finish line in Buenos Aires.
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Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Photofiles
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