On the road to Dakar: ARMIN SCHWARZ’ expert advice

It's now a question of days before the Dakar rally, and the pressure is mounting for Markus Walcher, our winner of the Good Project Dakar Edition. For the past few months he has been preparing for the rally with BFGoodrich®. A number of top drivers, such as Nani Roma or Mikko Hirvonen, have been giving him some precious advice. Before the D-day, here's some advice from a leading name in German rally raids: Armin Schwarz.

"Know all the race's rules and regulations"

Knowing rules and regulations is very important explains Armin Schwarz. "FIA and Dakar rules are very strict. Knowing them well helps you to better prepare for the race, especially for the technical aspects of vehicles. It will be important to know exactly the sporty rules, specially way point penalty´s, speed checks… This kind of traps you can fall in will decide your result."

"Test the vehicle's mechanics ahead of time"

You have to be prepared for all potential technical issues. "Perhaps the hardest thing to change on site is everything to do with the fuel pump and refueling," says Armin. Nothing could be better than testing the vehicle under all possible conditions. "Markus did a great job by experimenting his car at the Baja Poland, which took place in similar conditions to the Dakar.”

And Armin is clear-cut regarding to the physical preparation. “Altitude and temperature changes have a real influence on body. That’s why high altitude training for driver and co-driver will be very important as well."

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