BFGoodrich and Carlos Sainz: tribute to the Dakar champion

BFGoodrich has paid a well-deserved tribute to Carlos Sainz for his career in the Dakar, where he has achieved three victories with three different cars, always shod with the leading manufacturer of off-road tyres.

BFGoodrich and Carlos Sainz form a perfect alliance. This year the Spanish driver has achieved his third win in the toughest rally raid in the world, setting a new record that he himself already held: the oldest winner of the event.

But BFGoodrich’s tribute to Carlos Sainz, which we had the privilege of attending, is not a tribute to a single victory. It is a tribute to a whole career. As Rebeca Nieto, Commercial Director of Michelin Spain and Portugal, commented at the event, “Carlos has achieved a true milestone: winning three Dakar titles with three different cars, always with BFGoodrich, which Carlos considers ‘his’ tyre”.

And the fact is that Carlos himself has a great deal to do with the evolution and development of the BFGoodrich® All Terrain T/A KDR2+ tyres that equipped his buggy from the MINI team. Tyres whose competitiveness in this event is based on their outstanding resistance to punctures and their efficiency on soft ground.

Rebeca Nieto explained it this way: “If there is one driver who gives the tyre the importance it truly deserves, it is Carlos. We are very proud to count among our family a true champion, a reference to follow for the way he faces every challenge, both on and off the track. For the Michelin Group, the collaboration with Carlos has always been, and will continue to be, a guarantee of success.”

A successful alliance

For his part, Carlos Sainz was also moved and very grateful. “I am very happy about this tribute. My bond with this brand is very long-lasting and successful, and even going back to the World Rally Championship with Michelin.” On the event and the tyres’ performance, Carlos stated: “In the Dakar you need an all-round tyre that is competitive on sand, dunes, tracks… and that is also reliable. This was key in the Dakar in Saudi Arabia, where we had to get past very large rocks, and we managed not to puncture.”

Carlos remained very open and relaxed throughout the day, sharing curious anecdotes from his participation in the Dakar and in the World Rally Championship with Michelin, and answering all the questions the journalists asked him. And when asked, as is customary, whether we will see him at the start of the 2021 Dakar, he replied with a sparkle in his eyes: “I feel strong and eager. If a winning project comes up, I don’t rule it out.” In fact, the Madrid driver already has his own list of “improvements” and developments for a new Dakar, both for the car… and for the tyres.

BFGoodrich, which returned to the Dakar in 2017, already has 16 overall victories in the event. This is the honours list

BFGoodrich at the Dakar

• 1999: 1st, Jean-Louis Schlesser
• 2000: 1st, Jean-Louis Schlesser
• 2002: 1st, Hiroshi Masuoka (Mitsubishi Pajero)
• 2003: 1st, Hiroshi Masuoka (Mitsubishi Pajero)
• 2004: 1st, Stéphane Peterhansel (Mitsubishi Pajero).
• 2005: 1st, Stéphane Peterhansel (Mitsubishi Pajero)
• 2006: 1st, Luc Alphand (Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero Evo)
• 2007: 1st, Stéphane Peterhansel (Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero Evo)
• 2009: 1st, Giniel de Villiers (Volkswagen Touareg)
• 2010: 1st, Carlos Sainz (Volkswagen Touareg)
• 2011: 1st, Nasser Al-Attiyah (Volkswagen Touareg)
• 2012: 1st, Stéphane Peterhansel (Mini Cooper)
• 2017: Triple with Peugeot Sport. Stéphane Peterhansel, Sébastien Loeb and Cyril Despres.
• 2018: Triple with Carlos Sainz (Peugeot), Nasser Al-Attiyah and Giniel de Villiers (Toyota).
• 2019: Triple with Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), Nani Roma (X-Raid Mini) and Sébastien Loeb (PH Sport Peugeot 3008).
• 2020: Triple with Carlos Sainz (MINI), Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota) and Stéphane Peterhansel (MINI)