9000 kilometres across some really rough terrain – that’s the challenge facing the rally drivers taking part in the “Dakar Rally” in January. Two weeks of stress and strain. The head of motor racing in charge of the teams is under enormous pressure too, but in his case it’s not confined to that single fortnight. All year long he has to put together a car drawing on a given budget; a car that will pose a genuine threat to the competition. At the same time he must organise and supervise: the safety of the entire team, the fitness of the drivers and co-drivers, the transportation of the equipment, and so on and so forth. Mhoch4 has accompanied Volkswagen’s head of motor racing Kris Nissen and seen the extent of the demands made on him on the eve of the Dakar Rally.
With the famous Dakar Rally, unquestionably the toughest motor race in the world, it's first and foremost all about getting through, for both people and material. And even when we as normal car drivers don't directly profit from the sometimes unbelievable performances of the racing drivers, we at least benefit from the experience gained from the racing cars and their components. Each part, from the smallest screw up to a twin turbo fuel injection system, is subjected to the very toughest of tests during the Dakar Rally. And such components have to supply a maximum of performance – after all, for the teams it's all about winning. At the end of the rally the engineers know a whole lot more, yet again: knowledge invested in the construction of Golf & Co.
Not exactly a dream come true, the conditions in the Dakar Rally awaiting Nasser Al-Attiyah, the driver from Qatar: a whole lot of sand, sweat and grime in the place of champagne and beautiful girls. But despite the hardships, the 38 year-old committed himself to rally sport many years ago. We document one of the most vibrant personalities from the current racing scene.
The terrain is rather unusual for presenting a Dakar Rally team, but three weeks before the rally is due to begin in Argentina, Volkswagen’s racing division has descended on the Austrian village of Flachau. Even the gods relented at the last moment, sending snow from the heavens. Not the best road surface for the participants of the desert rally, which starts on 1 January 2010, to practise on, but certainly ideal for the team presentation. A fantastic atmosphere and plenty of fun are definitely what count for that.
Catch the latest Race results and dirt track racing news! Plus a chance to get your friends and family on the special Christmas Show December 14th. That show will also feature armed forces member\'s video greetings!
The race is on to get Lewis and Heikki's cars to the Italian Grand Prix in Monza -at a maximum speed of just 56 mph - aboard the team's Mercedes Transporter, driven by Hugh and Roy.
Lewis Hamilton and his crew discuss his accident at Monza as well as his predictions for the next race in Singapore. Lewis also looks ahead and speculates that next season he’ll be going for the win – from the first race to the last.
