The team has passed the tests complete, The Dakar begins

2.1.2021

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Done, confirmed, picked up. The MKR Technology team is completely ready for Saturday's start of the 43rd edition of Dakar Rally.

After a two-day quarantine after arriving in Saudi Arabia, the last coronavirus tests took place. All members of MKR Technology and related racing teams went through with a negative result and therefore the organizers could let them pick up the racing equipment. With it, they also entered a closed, isolated bivouac, where no one can enter. Now it's up to two weeks' racing. "One of our groups waited a few hours longer for the results, so the boys were already nervous. On the other hand, they could enjoy luxury of the hotel even longer," smiled Mario Kress, head of MKR Technology's North Bohemian design team and added: "We didn't expect the results to be different, but of course we were all relieved. Now we can really focus only on the racing aspects," said Kress, who was aware, that in fact no relief is coming now. On the contrary, there are two very hard weeks on the menu, for which he and his technicians have prepared three Renault Trucks. They will be driven by traditional, proven Dutch pilots. Gert Huzink will drive the only hybrid special truck in the competition at Dakar. His team partner will be Pascal de Baar in the second truck. The third Renault from the new workshop in Chvalín in the Roudnice region will be driven by Martin van den Brink, who is accompanied by on-board mechanic Daniel Kozlovský from Roudnice. The crews took over the racing equipment on Wednesday in the early evening and on Thursday morning. "Now we have to check everything and get ready for the weekend start," said Mario Kress.

The race will start on Saturday with an eleven-kilometer prologue in Jeddah, which will only determine the order of the sharp Sunday start. The race will start 30 kilometers from King Abdullah's stadium and will include several sandy sections. The first stage is scheduled for Sunday and during it the trucks will have to cope with a portion of more than six hundred and twenty kilometers. However, the timed special section is only 277 km and is one of the shortest this year. The initial section will be difficult to navigate and there will be a risk of punctures on the stony sections. In total, the crews will have to tackle twelve race stages with one day off in Ha'il, which will come after the sixth stage. In total, truck crews will have to deal with almost seven thousand and eight hundred kilometers. The timed sections will be only three thousand kilometers shorter. The most fortunate ones will reach the finish line on Friday, January 15, when they will return to the starting city of Jeddah. "I believe that, just like last year, we will be able to reach the finish line with all the trucks and, in addition, we will be able to reach the podium. Overall, we would like to be in the elite five," wishes Mario Kress, lead designer of the MKR Technology team.

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