Morocco Rally: the power of experience – Sonik is the leader
Rafał Sonik started his participation in the last round of this year’s FIM World Cup with winning a stage. The Polish quad rider, who has already ensured himself the win of the general classification, had the best time during the first special stage, outdistancing his competitors on quads.
The first 330 km of the fight on Sahara led mostly along rocks and stones. ‘It was very difficult for us, because it’s easy to make a mistake in such terrain. I was the first quad rider to start and I had to take over the bikers in all that dust, which is always dangerous. Here, the experience mattered,’ stated “SuperSonik” at the finish line.
During the first part of the special stage, Sebastian Souday, who only four months earlier fought tooth and nail for the first place in the Sardegna Rally, caught up with him. ‘He took me over at the place where he absolutely shouldn’t have done that, but I’ve learned that his imagination often takes the better of him. A few kilometres later, he stood there and tried to save his damaged quad… you simply can’t overdo it at such a tricky surface,’ explained Sonik.
Despite being careful, the winner of Dakar drove at a speed that the other competitors just couldn’t keep up with. He started the Marocco Rally by winning the stage with the time of 4:50.59. Eduardo Marcos Echaniz (Spain) arrived at the finish line almost two and a half hours later…
This year, Morocco has seen a true crème de la crème of car drivers. Rafał Sonik confirmed that driving in such great company is pure pleasure. ‘Look at all those names on the list: Al-Attiyah, Sainz, Loeb, Hirvonen, de Villiers, Wasiliew. They are true masters. At the end, they started to take us over and it was clear that they aced it. They eat the desert for breakfast,’ commented Sonik.
PKN ORLEN supports Rafał Sonik’s participation in the rally.
Results of the first stage:
1. Rafał Sonik (POL) 04:50.59
2. Eduardo Marcos Echaniz (ESP) + 2:19.37
3. Cavadonga Fernandez Suarez (ESP) 2:19.39