What's this then?
Peugeot is ready to do battle; the 2008 DKR has received its official 'combat livery', trading its black finish for a set of sponsors' logos. Appropriately for a French car the principal colours are blue, white and red; plus a splash of yellow thanks to the main sponsor, Red Bull. The 2015 Dakar Rally is due to start on 4th January in Argentina where the team will pit itself against one of motorsport's toughest challenges.
Looks good, tell me more.
Apparently there is a practical side to the colour scheme too; the white roof will help reflect heat away from the interior so when racing across South America the livery should make things a little more comfortable for the driver and co-driver. Stéphane Peterhansel, one of Peugeot's three drivers, observed: "The fact that the part around the cockpit has been finished in white is an excellent way to protect us from the heat. I've competed in a car with a black roof and I can tell you that it makes a big difference."
Peugeot isn't setting the expectations too high for its return to cross-country rallying. In the words of Peugeot Sport Director Bruno Famin; "The results of our test programme show that our technical concept is well founded. That said, this car is at a very early stage of its development, so it is important to remain cautious. Although we have big ambitions for this adventure, we are still tackling it with a great deal of humility. By deciding to kick off our cross-country rally programme with the toughest event imaginable, we will no doubt come across unforeseen obstacles and problems. It is consequently important to take things one step at a time. For our first attempt, our main objective is to get as many cars as possible as far as we possibly can."
What's next?
In a few days the service trucks carrying all the spare parts and equipment will be loaded on the ship that will take them to Argentina. The cars will be sent by air freight after one final test in Morocco. Meanwhile, the crews will undertake an intensive mechanical training course as they will have to undertake emergency repair work during the Dakar Rally's marathon leg.
John Lambert - 1 Dec 2014