In the early hours of January 9, 2015, Beijing time, the fifth stage of the 37th Dakar Rally concluded. The stage ran from Copiapó to Antofagasta, covering a special stage distance of 458 kilometers and a liaison section of 239 kilometers. This was a high-speed stage, and although there were no desert sections, the fesh-fesh dusty roads posed high demands on the drivers' handling skills, making overtaking very difficult. In the car category, the Russian driver from the MINI team emerged as the dark horse of the day, finishing first in the car category with a time of 4 hours, 19 minutes, and 18 seconds. Thanks to steady performances in two stages, Zhou Yong, representing Perfect China • Meinian Onehealth • Brave Team, improved his overall ranking from 21st in Stage 4 to 17th. Liu Kun of the East Racing Team finished Stage 37th, placing 59th overall; Zhong Lei finished 53rd in the stage and is ranked 53rd overall.
In Dakar, many like to say: a good mindset may lead to good results. Before the race on the 9th, Zhou Yong updated his WeChat: "458 kilometers from Copiapó to Antofagasta, before the stage I closed my eyes and basked in the sun, the earth was silent, the wind whispered, and occasionally the distant rumble could be heard." In his social media circle, many domestic drivers left comments: "Such a good mindset!"
When analyzing why, after challenging five stages and with nearly half of the drivers eliminated, he remains increasingly competitive, we can guess that besides Zhou Yong’s familiarity with Dakar as an eight-time veteran, his other half — the co-driver — must have played a significant role, as they have gone through five stages of teamwork, and Schulz brings the rich experience of a Dakar-winning co-driver. Zhou Yong expressed genuine appreciation for this. Reflecting on the previous day’s race, he praised the experienced co-driver Andreas Schulz: "He made me drive faster. Usually, a co-driver not only looks at the GPS and control points but also assists with the roadbook and, generally, desert experience. Andy (Andreas Schulz) has participated in 25 Dakars, has a lot of desert experience, a very clear mind, and almost never gives wrong directions. He has many of his own terms, speaking in a Bavarian-accented English, and he reports extremely accurately. What you need, he calls out before you even hesitate, so while listening, I can focus entirely on safety and the other competitors’ cars. All I hear are clear directions — it’s really great, so today I felt I was 'playing' happily in the desert."
Regarding the solid overall ranking of 17th, the calm and low-profile Zhou Yong believes the race isn’t over yet. The current overall ranking and stage positions are just parameters, and there’s still a long way to go before the final standings. Looking back at his past race performances, it’s clear that Zhou Yong, known as a versatile driver excelling in circuit, rally, and off-road racing, has previously achieved a Stage 10 finish and an overall Stage 15 ranking in Dakar.
Let’s also take a look at the “stories” of a few other well-known drivers from around the world in this event: Shortly after the start, Chicherit, driving a Buggy for the Monster and Toyo Tires brands, caught fire three kilometers into the stage. He and his co-driver tried to extinguish the flames, but the race was over for them. Peugeot driver Despres, who had clutch issues in Stage 4, faced another problem with his car 64 kilometers into the stage, causing a delay of nearly an hour and a half. Nasser Al-Attiyah of the Qatar Red Bull Racing Team started the race at 12:14 local time and, although the first to reach the finish line, saw the day’s stage win go to the Russian driver Vasilev of the MINI team.
Tomorrow, drivers will face the sixth stage of the race, running along the Pacific coast from Antofagasta to the coastal city of Iquique. The motorcycle category features a special stage of 319 kilometers and a liaison section of 369 kilometers, while the car category has a special stage of 255 kilometers and a liaison section of 392 kilometers. This stage will once again test drivers with desert sections. Due to the earthquake in Iquique earlier this year, a celebration ceremony for the halfway point of the race will be held in the city after the stage concludes.