Carlos Sainz He will enter the second week of the Dakar with the motivation of wanting to break the 11 minutes and 49 seconds that is the difference between him and the current leader. Nasser Al-Attiyah. this is what he guaranteed Doctor of Medicine Yesterday, during an impromptu conversation for a few minutes before the press conference. ford m sport At the bivouac Riyadhon my day off dakar. He even started the event a few minutes late to answer questions from this newspaper.

What’s the key to this second week? Do you have an important day?

It will definitely be two days of marathon stages (stages 9 and 10) and no bikes (no bike course as the routes are different). Then all the other days are long days, 400-odd kilometers each…”

Are you going to attack on certain days of the day or do you need to attack with full force every day?

No, now I feel like I have to do very well every day and do it perfectly that day, but now my days are starting to run out.

And even if you think you can go home, can you mentally say that you have nothing to lose?

Yes, I’m sure, I’m already here to get some hints (lol).

And how does it work inside the car?

No, it means we are calm. In the end obviously the whole Ford team wants to achieve victory, but maybe I’m morally more motivated now with everything that happened and being able to resolve it.

You said that the time was not short, but that you might be able to make up for the time that Nasser took from you. What exactly do I need to do?

Hey hey, something has to happen to him and we do very well, it’s obvious but it’s not just us, we have Lategan who is running at a very fast pace, we have Matias, we have Nani, we have Loeb, so there are a lot of candidates to win, but still, we have Mitch…

Once this Dakar is over, we’ll know if it lived up to expectations, but did we like it after this first week?

Yes, it’s the real Dakar. It was a tough Dakar, and the second week will be another tough one.

Due to the new tires, all drivers suffered many punctures, which was expected even before the start of the Dakar. Many people claim that you don’t know or can’t predict when you’ll get a flat tire. Do you think they’re going to change the tires for next year after everything that happened?

Surely they will change, because Ford will be in charge of it and the drivers will ask them to change, because this is a drama.

Ford CEO Jim Farley is here. Would you like to take the opportunity to talk about your future?

No, not at that time.

Was your first week fun?

It was very stressful. I didn’t have much time to enjoy myself because of the stress. If you are racing with too many problems, it will be difficult to concentrate on driving and perform at your best.

After the Dakar, you said that you ask yourself the same question every year in front of the mirror. One of them is whether you are having fun. And secondly, if it was competitive. As for the second, it is clear that there is a positive answer.

For now, yes, I want to show that I can win the Dakar and that’s what I’m going to try to do.

Even if you don’t win this Dakar, will you still be worried?

I’ve already won four times and I think I’ve already achieved that goal. Yes, I want to win, but that doesn’t mean I lack it.

After all, don’t you keep saying that you want to win the Dakar and retire?

To be honest, I’m not attached to it. When the time comes, I fall in love with racing. I prepare all year long, and if I win, that’s fine, and if not, I’ve already done it four times.

Lucas Cruz told me that physically you are like a bull and not everyone your age can do things like you. I spoke to a physical therapist who told me that the reason I’m still at the top of my game at age 63 is because I’ve continued to work and maintain my athletic ability during this time. Is that the key?

No, the facts don’t stop and there are no secrets. I have to train a lot at home. The older you get, the more you have to train.

But how insistent are you about never missing a day without drinking a Coca-Cola during your training?

No, I’m not attached to it either. I spend time training, but I’m not alone. That said, I also try to enjoy life.

You often talk about how if he doesn’t take you to the Dakar, the important thing is that he stays at Ford. And the rest of the drivers also talk a lot about the brand together. How did you achieve unity within your team? Only one person wins in the end.

Well, one or the other wins, but remember that most of us strive for one or the other to win. And if Ford wins in the end, it will be a bit of a victory for me.

Is getting to the end of the stage the other day with a clutch issue the best thing you remember in your career?

The clutch…and the engine too! So is the engine (he said with a laugh while the press secretary had to take it away to start the press conference).