Mini retires from Dakarposted in MSPOR09 | 01 | 2011

MINI'S ASSAULT on the Dakar Rally ended, rather embarrassingly, when Guerlain Chicherit crashed while getting some testing mileage during Saturday's rest day. Frustratingly for the X-Raid team, the crash came after Chicherit had got the Mini back into the top 10 in ninth position after Friday's sixth stage.

Chicherit, who crashed heavily during the practice run, sustained a head injury in the accident which caused severe damage to the Mini. After being kept under observation in the rally's medical centre, he did not require a hospital visit.

"Guerlain is not seriously injured, but the car somersaulted once or twice," X-Raid team boss Sven Quandt said. "We don't have time to repair and anyway we don't have all the parts we need."

The South American race resumed this morning with Carlos Sainz leading Nasser Al-Attiyah in a Volkswagen one-two, while Stephane Peterhansel is third in the best of X-Raid's BMWs.

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