November 11, 2015 – Reigning Dakar Rally champions Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel have lifted the lid on the car they will be using when they return to South America in January. The Red Bull-backed athletes will once again be at the controls of the ultra impressive MINI that they not only steered to victory at the last Dakar, but also drove during their domination of this season’s FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup.
The successful partnership between Nasser, Mathieu and their trusted X-raid machine saw them clock the quickest time on six stages at the 2015 Dakar. The crew eventually finished the epic two-week rally a staggering 35 minutes clear of the race’s second place driver. The good times continued throughout the year as the Qatari driver, French co-driver and German built car travelled the globe to contest the Cross-Country Rally World Cup.
With continuity on his side there is only one aim for Nasser as he heads back to Argentina: become the first man in Dakar history to win the car race three times in South America.
Nasser, Mathieu and their MINI will have to work in perfect unison if they are to get the better of the immense challenges that await them at the Dakar. They must come out on top against the event’s trademark tricky terrain as well as a host of other crews who will be out to snatch victory for themselves.
The reigning champions will need to replicate the driving and navigational skills that have brought them so much success this season if they are to make history by recording another winning result at the toughest rally on the planet.