Five-time Dakar winner Marc Coma says the first race in Saudi Arabia will have its challenges, the Spaniard spoke to Wheels24’s Sean Parker on the eve of the race.
Coma oversees the route map in the Toyota Gazoo Racing South African-built Hilux as co-driver for two-time Formula 1 winner Fernando Alonso.
The former McLaren driver is making his debut in the Dakar.
"Chapter number three for Dakar is in a completely new country for everybody, and we can see a lot of restrictions in information and for me as a navigator that makes it difficult," Coma said.
The long-distance in stages is also a challenge but the 42-year-old says he is happy to be part of this amazing project and paired up with compatriot Alonso.
Coma, who has five Dakar wins on two wheels with KTM, says his experience in the deserts will certainly assist Alonso in his first Dakar.
"We've made the correct preparation over the last few months to arrive in good shape and I'm excited to see how we fare. We know it'll be a long race, and we'll have good moments and difficult moments, but we have to handle them and reach the end," Coma commented.