De Villiers hopes for Dakar podium
South Africa's Giniel de Villiers says he has a chance of a podium finish in the 2012 Dakar Rally, after finishing in the top ten seven
times out of eight.
Should South African motorsport fans be in any doubt about the credentials of 39-year-old Stellenbosch resident as a favourite to feature
in the 2012 Dakar in South America in January, they have only to read the following excerpt from a Dakar Rally media release posted this
week.
"Alongside Stéphane Peterhansel, Giniel de Villiers has been the most consistently high-performing driver in the Dakar Rally over
the last 10 years. After driving for the Nissan and Volkswagen teams, this year he has joined forces with Toyota. Behind the scenes of the
major teams, speculation has already started concerning the main contenders' chances of winning the next Dakar Rally. In his accustomed way,
Giniel de Villiers moves discreetly, but his confidence and experience make him one of the favourites in the race to the finishing line.
"Since first competing in the Dakar (in 2003), the South African driver has only once failed to make the top ten and came second
last year. The withdrawal of the VW Touaregs, which got the upper hand in the last three races, has reignited the debate surrounding this
category.
"In this context, the 2009 winner jumped on board the ambitious project developed by Toyota Motorsport in South Africa, which joined
forces with South African company Hallspeed to provide already highly-competitive Hilux pickups for De Villiers and four-time South African
champion Duncan Vos for the Dakar 2012.
"It's very exciting, as the cars have great potential," said de Villiers. "Toyota really has chosen the best time to get
involved in the event. We tested the cars in Namibia and collected a lot of information after the Morocco Rally, which featured a third
Hilux from the Belgian Overdrive team driven by Argentine Orlando Terranova. We are not yet on a level with Volkswagen, but are not far off
it. This is a new challenge and a new chapter for me. I believe we really have a chance of making it to the podium, but you never know what
to expect with the Dakar.'"
De Villiers' Dakar Rally record
2003 5th
2004 7th
2005 4th
2006 2nd
2007 11th
2008 event cancelled
2009 1st
2010 7th
2011 2nd
In addition, the 2001 South African off-road champion has a number of victories in FIA Cross Country World Cup and Dakar Series events
like the Morocco Rally (three), the Transiberico Rally and the Rallye dos Sertoes.