(Text/Lightning Picture/Song Yongchuan Dakar Official) At 3:00 pm on January 6, Lima time, the 2019 Dakar Rally held a starting ceremony on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, which also means a new round of world off-road kings The battle for hegemony has officially begun.
Han Wei signs autographs for local car fans (Photo/Song Yongchuan)
Han Wei/Liao Min of No. 318 car group representing Geely Automobile Shell Lubricant Cooper Tire Team participated in the competition, and became the focus of Dakar. Everyone has already started various guesses before the race, especially whether Han Wei can break through the Chinese drivers in Dakar In this regard, Han Wei said: “Everything is the best arrangement for me. I am very excited and proud. Our preparations and work are very good. Dakar is for me, It is the ultimate dream, and when I stepped on the starting platform, I officially started my dream-seeking journey. This is the starting point, and I will tirelessly explore it.”
Enthusiastic car fans (Photo/Song Yongchuan)
Su Pengcheng, head of the Geely Shell Lubricating Oil Cooper Tire Team, said: “After arriving in Lima, our preparations were intense but smooth. This year’s stage is relatively shorter than previous years, and the whole process is in a country called Peru. , many people are worried that the level will shrink, so the organizing committee has put forward stricter requirements on many details such as the operation of the entire event and the implementation of the rules this year. The logistics vehicle provides guarantee for the racing car, and this privilege has been canceled for half of the stages this year, so the difficulty of running has been increased by at least 30% from the rules.”
Philippe on the grid
Not only has the difficulty of running increased, but the difficulty of the stages has also increased compared with previous years: “For the ten-day race, the total mileage is shortened to about 60% compared with previous years, and the time is shortened accordingly. The daily mileage is very long. The difficulty is also higher than in previous years. A lot, as you can see in the promotional video, 70% of the desert stage. Personally, I think this will be a very challenging Dakar, with a tight rhythm and tight time.”
Team Leader Su Pengcheng
For the first time in Dakar, Geely attracted a lot of attention at the starting ceremony. Local car fans saw the five-star red flag and asked, “Are you a team from China?” The partners in the sports department expressed their pride: “The local car fans gathered around our Geely racing car, giving thumbs up in every way, signing autographs and taking photos with the drivers. And when our racing car drove to the grid At that moment, I was really excited—our Chinese Dakar race car is coming!” At this moment, I was full of pride!
The starting ceremony is a carnival in Peru. The whole starting ceremony lasted for several hours, and car fans flocked from all directions, including men, women, young and old, and their families. It can be seen that everyone loves from the heart, which makes the fire of motor sports in South America blaze.
The person in charge of Geely’s local dealership in Lima also came to the start ceremony: “It is more accurate to say that South American car fans recognize Dakar than worship. If a manufacturer forms a team to participate in Dakar, then It means that you are excellent, and if you happen to get the grade, then it means that you are very good, and the quality and performance of your car is absolutely reliable.”
The Auto Sports Department of Geely Group mentioned Geely Automobile’s international market layout: “So, to participate in the 2019 Dakar Rally, it is also the time for Geely Automobile to start a large number of international sales in South America in 2019, which is one of our market plans. Important cooperation strategy. Through the Dakar Rally, give our dealers a kind of spiritual support, which is a force that cannot be replaced by any advertisement, and is the strongest product endorsement and brand building.”
Heading towards the starting platform (Photo/Song Yongchuan)
Passing the grid, you will face the challenge of ten stages. The Auto Sports Department of Geely Group encourages everyone: “We have not given hard targets to the drivers. Han Wei is a steady driver and Philip has rich experience. I believe that the two cars will There is a perfect cooperation. Everyone is very concerned about whether Han Wei can break through the achievements of Chinese drivers, and there have been no Chinese car manufacturer teams in Dakar for several years. Therefore, when Geely comes to the stage of Dakar, we all also We all hope to push the best results of Chinese drivers. Han Wei came to Dakar for the first time. He was very excited, confident and happy. We all hope that he will use his best Enjoy the race in full condition. There are also other teams from China, such as the brave team led by Zhou Yong, the motorcycle team of Zhao Hongyi and Zhang Min. I wish every Chinese rider participating in the competition can achieve a breakthrough and finish the race smoothly , to show the world the strength and level of our Chinese team.”
After the starting ceremony, on the morning of January 7, Lima time, the SS1 stage: Lima-Pisco, with a total length of 331 kilometers, and a special stage of 84 kilometers in the pure desert. The excitement is about to begin, we will wait and see.
From right to left: Steven, Philip, Liao Min, Han Wei
(Photo/Song Yongchuan)
