Dakar 2021 | Maxxis Tyres UK

Maxxis-Supported Team Coronel in the 2021 Dakar

From the third to the fifteenth of January 2021, the 43rd Dakar is taking place. While we borderline freeze in Europe, many drivers and riders race across the desert of Saudi Arabia, pushing themselves and their vehicles to the limit.

Tim and Tom Coronel, the racing twins of Team Coronel, are undertaking this year's course in a new-and-improved version of The Beast; a high-powered buggy featuring 37x12.5-17 Dakar-only Trepador tyres (M8060, 8PR, 124Q). This tyre is specially constructed just for the Dakar rally, and of course the wishes of the Coronel brothers. The mud-terrain version of this tyre is available in the UK and across Europe, and is the tyre of choice for Ultra4 European Championship winner Jim Marsden of Gigglepin Racing.

Throughout the last few years since Maxxis has supported racers in the Dakar rally, these tyres have proven themselves to be 100% Dakar-proof.

Read on for all the latest updates on the 2021 Dakar rally from Team Coronel:

Dakar 2021: Quarantine, Test and Prep

Tim and Tom – and the rest of the Coronel Dakar Team – have been in Saudi Arabia for almost a week. After arrival they had to be quarantined for two days before undergoing another covid test. Only with a negative result, they were allowed to pick up the car at the port.

Stage 1: The Beast Stays Out of Trouble

The first stage of Dakar 2021 was carnage; the Coronel brothers watched cars roll around them with damage, punctures and other ailments. The brothers opted to slip neatly through the busy opening stage, making no mistakes, staying out of trouble and keeping The Beast as safe as possible.

Stage 2: Tim and Tom build confidence in a fantastic stage

The second stage of the Dakar 2021 was enjoyable from start to finish for Tim and Tom Coronel. Even a navigation error did not spoil the fun.

Stage 3: The beast has to work hard

It was hard work for The Beast in the third stage of the Dakar 2021. And so also for Tim and Tom Coronel. In the 403 km loop at Wadi Ad-Dawasir, they were faced with a particularly varied landscape, which demanded the utmost from man and machine. “We moan sometimes, but this is what we come for,” said Tom. "This is the real thing."

Stage 4: Small problems can't spoil the fun for Tim and Tom

The organization had already predicted it: the fourth stage of Dakar 2021 is a fast one. Tim and Tom Coronel confirmed that at the finish of the 337 kilometres long stage. Top speed is not the strong point of The Beast and a few minor problems along the way also weighed on the pace. The Coronel brothers came to the line with the 40th time.

Stage 5: Tim and Tom Coronel enter the top 30

The fifth stage of the Dakar 2021 was definitely not to be sneezed at, not even for Tim and Tom Coronel. Despite a series of small problems, the twins crept into the top 30 of the general standings. In the daily result they were the best Dutchmen with the 34th time, 24 seconds ahead of countryman Erik van Loon.

Rest Day: Quiet rest day for Tim and Tom Coronel

In previous years the rest day of the Dakar Rally has been more restless for Tim and Tom Coronel. In the Ha'il's bivouac, however, the brothers and the team can enjoy relative peace. There is always work to be done on The Beast, but there are not many peculiarities, says Tim. "I am actually pretty content."

Stage 7: Tim and Tom Coronel make no mistakes in the seventh stage

No heroic adventures so far for Tim and Tom Coronel in the Dakar 2021. In the seventh stage they did not even have to step out of The Beast once. Yet it was still quite exciting whether they would reach the finish of the 453 km long stage. The car was so thirsty on the stage to Sakaka that they barely made it to the bivouac. "At the finish we only had 24 litres left of the 408."

Stage 8: Tim and Tom Coronel gain in marathon stage

Being able to rely on yourself in the Dakar, and knowing how to use the equipment sparingly, is important in the marathon stage. If there's one thing Tim and Tom Coronel have learned over the years, it's just that. Among other things, that experience has brought the brothers a lot in the marathon stage - the combination of stages 7 and 8, without service in the bivouac. Three places in the general rankings for example, where they are now 27th.

Stage 9: Tim and Tom breathing dust in the mountains

The ninth stage of the Dakar 2021 was not very pleasant. The route took Tim and Tom Coronel up into the mountains, through valleys and over winding, rocky paths, making it "bumpety-bump and breathing in dust" for nearly 465 kms. By driving smart and above all remaining patient, the twins managed to take another 25th place and won two more places in the general standings.

Stage 10: Not a bad day, but a bit of bad luck for Tim and Tom Coronel

The 38th time at the finish is not what we are used to now from Tim and Tom Coronel in the Dakar 2021. Still, the tenth stage was not a "bad day" for the twins. They did have a bit of bad luck in the form of an inflation-system-based puncture and they had to drive a little more carefully to prevent even more. “That was a small handicap, but if a flat tire is our biggest problem this week, then I can live with it,” says Tom at the finish of the 342 km long stage.

Stage 11: Busy working day for Tim and Tom Coronel

The eleventh stage of Dakar 2021 was a confirmation that the home stretch isn’t a walk in the park. The penultimate day was, as Tim Coronel described it on arrival at the bivouac at Yanbu, "a real, tough Dakar day". Tim and Tom had their hands full, but managed to set a 28th fastest time, which brought them to 25th in the standings.

Stage 12: Tim and Tom pick up medal after frantic final stage

For eleven stages Tim and Tom had hardly any problems, but on the final day of the Dakar 2021 they all came at the same time. "We have experienced more in this last 200 kilometers than in the whole dakar", sighed Tom. "It wasn't about anything."