Carlos Sainz: 2018 Dakar Rally route is 'too much'
Carlos Sainz says the Peruvian leg that opened the 2018 Dakar Rally has been "too much" for amateur drivers, amid a host of early retirements from the gruelling event


Following another day of high attrition through the dunes, the three remaining works Peugeots have pulled well clear of the opposition.
The fourth 3008DKR of Cyril Despres suffered suspension damage on Tuesday, Toyota's lead drivers Nasser Al-Attiyah and Giniel de Villiers have dropped an hour away from the front and Mini drivers Bryce Menzies and Nani Roma both fell victim to early crashes.
With even the factory crews struggling, Sainz - who currently sits third behind team-mates Stephane Peterhansel and Sebastien Loeb - says the route is too challenging for the amateur contingent making up the field.
"The stage has been very difficult, the hardest at the moment," he said at the end of Tuesday's stage.
"It's a mixture of very complicated dunes; soft, very broken, and with falls. And areas of stones too.
"The start was extremely hard. I think for amateurs it has been too much, because today I do not know how many cars will finish the stage."

Leader Peterhansel agreed with his team-mate.
"For us it's OK because we are the factory cars, we have the best co-drivers and we are good drivers," he said.
"But for the amateurs, with a car with less performance, it would be really complicated. This Dakar is really complicated for the other competitors, more than last year."
There were 43 retirements across all classes from the first three stages, while only 49 of the 73 competitors in the Car class that started the fourth stage made it to the end within six hours of stage winner Loeb.

Sebastien Loeb takes his first stage win of the 2018 Dakar Rally
Toyota drivers slam 'unfair' Dakar Rally tyre rules

Latest news
Dakar Rally announces longer 14-stage route for 2023
The ASO has revealed the first details of the 2023 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, increasing the length of the route to 14 stages in response to calls from competitors.
M-Sport set sights on Dakar in new Ford rally raid venture
M-Sport plans to enter the rally raid arena as part of a new collaboration with Neil Woolridge Motorsport that intends to contest the famous Dakar Rally in the future.
How Audi took the Dakar by storm with its hybrid game-changer
Four stage wins and all three cars reaching the finish was no small achievement for Audi on its first attempt at motorsport’s toughest event with a brand-new car. The key men behind the RS Q e-tron project explain why it was such a momentous feat
Tank Slappers Podcast: Petrucci reflects on his Dakar odyssey
After a wild Dakar Rally debut, double MotoGP race winner Danilo Petrucci is the special guest of the first Tank Slappers Podcast of 2021.
Injury, COVID, camels and redemption: A MotoGP star's Dakar odyssey
Danilo Petrucci’s decision to switch to rallying at the conclusion of his time in MotoGP at the end of 2021 raised many eyebrows. Deciding to make his rally raid debut at the Dakar courted scepticism. With his debut almost over on several occasions before it began, Petrucci’s Dakar odyssey was a wild affair full of ups, downs and a run-in with a camel. He sat down with Autosport to reveal all
The positive future implications of Audi's creditable Dakar debut
OPINION: Audi has been a disruptive presence on the 2022 Dakar Rally, with its new hybrid RS Q e-tron taking three stage wins so far. Its impressive pace and resilience on one of the world’s toughest tests also bodes well for the Dakar’s future as it seeks to attract new manufacturers
How Prodrive plans to use trial by Dakar to spur it to victory
Having tasted plenty of success in the World Rally Championship in the past, Prodrive took its off-road excursions to a new level with its first Dakar Rally entry this year. Now well-versed in the challenges that the famous rally-raid event possesses, Prodrive can learn from those lessons for next year's tilt at Dakar honours
Why Loeb has joined forces with an old enemy for Dakar
The nine-time World Rally champion is heading to the Dakar Rally with an all-new project, and is joining up with the team he often fought against in the WRC - Prodrive - in his quest to finally add the most famed rally raid of them all to his bulging CV
Richards on Prodrive's new Dakar challenge
With a stunning success record in motorsport, Prodrive is targeting a new crown by entering the 2021 Dakar Rally. David Richards provides an update on the programme, how COVID has slowed its plans and its options on who sits behind the wheel of its new car
Why Alonso is already exceeding expectations in Dakar bid
How significant was Fernando Alonso's first cross-country rallying podium on a Saudi Arabian event last weekend? Very. The next leg of his post-F1 quest for versatile glory is going very well so far...
What Alonso learned from his best Dakar test yet
Double Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso took on one of his biggest challenges yet in the five-day Dakar warm-up event, Rally Morocco. Alonso gives his thoughts on his progress in a "bittersweet" event, and whether he will contest the Dakar
Why Alonso must heed Loeb's Dakar failures
Fernando Alonso is edging closer to a Dakar debut, but he should take heed of the lessons rallying legend Sebastien Loeb has learned through several near-misses, despite his promising performances at the event