Morocco : Volkswagen Motorsport - Leg 4Volkswagen factory driver Giniel de Villiers from South Africa and his German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz have continued to defend their lead in the Morocco Rally after four of six legs. The duo in the Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 finished
the 243-kilometre special stage from Erfoud to Zagora in third place overall.
Their team-mates Carlos Sainz and Michel Périn lost five minutes to the winner of the day, Jean-Louis Schlesser (Schlesser-Ford), due to a puncture. In the overall standings they are in third place behind Giniel de Villiers and Stéphane Peterhansel (Mitsubishi). The Portuguese Carlos Sousa in the Race Touareg 2 of Team Lagos, fielded by the Volkswagen semi-works team Phoenix Sport, is in seventh position overall.
Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)
"It was a quick and exciting day with partially stony stretches harbouring a big risk for tyre punctures. In the end it was Carlos Sainz who was struck by one, which cost him time. Congratulations to Jean-Louis Schlesser on his stage victory. I've got the impression Mitsubishi showed a 100-percent, flat-out performance. Giniel de Villiers used a tactical approach. We're very competitive for the final two legs and have a good starting base for the fifth leg on Sunday."
#201 – Giniel de Villiers : 1st place overall
"The first 50 kilometres were the same as on the first day, we were extremely fast there and made up half a minute to Carlos Sainz. At the end of the leg we passed Carlos when he had a puncture. After that we were the first car out for the final 40 kilometres, which worked well, though. It was an incredibly quick leg on a hard surface with an average speed of just under 140 kph.”
#203 – Carlos Sainz : 3rd place overall
"Not a bad day. Unfortunately, at the end of the leg on a stony stretch we suffered a slow puncture on the left rear tyre. About 30 kilometres before the finish we had to stop to change the tyre. That cost us several minutes."
Press Release Volkswagen Motorsport
