Team celebrates best countrys result (foto: David Santos Jr)
Jean Azevedo and Youssef Haddad were a complete team. Jean, with over 20 years of off-road competing in bikes, and in his 14th Sertões International Rally. Youssef, engineer responsible for the development of Mitsubishi L200 Evolution in the country, former chief of staff of Mitsubishi Racing and navigator. The ingredients of this mixture could only result in a successful product. The team achieved this Friday (3) the 3rd position in the cars category of Sertões International Rally and 1st place in the Prototypes category and were the best Brazilians in the category.
The joy and overcoming of expectations of the Petrobras Lubrax team is for having won, in the general classification, at least one car of assembling companies team, in this case, the Volkswagen Touaregs, which were in the two first positions, with Carlos Sainz and Nasser Al-Attiyah. Maurício Neves and Eduardo Bampi however, finished the competition in the 6th general position.
We are happy because any fight between a Brazilian pilot and an assembling company pilot is like a fight between Davi and Golias. The final classification overcame our initial expectations as everyone was wagering on the three Touaregs to be in the three first positions, celebrated Jean.
The pilot awards the victory to the commitment of everyone in his team with a job that shows positive results. This podium is the confirmation of a good team work, we have a team that works hard and non-stop. Thanks to that, we were able to break the theory, he said.
Joining Forces About his partner, Jean is all compliments. He says that Youssefs work in the backstage, after the specials, is essential for a good result in the trail. He is important in the rallys everyday routine, not only during the specials. When we arrived in the Bivouac and he works with the mechanics, said Jean.
During the Marathon Stage, Jean and Youssef we had a problem with the cars hydraulic steering wheel. We were able to get close to Riamburgo Ximenes in the trail and he did not let us pass, so we had to stay behind him. Because the road was too narrow and with all that dust, we hit a tree broke the hydraulic steering wheel. Since we could not change the parts, and only changing the steering box would be able to fix it, Youssef made some repairs at the time that did not solve the problems, but we were able to continue in the competition, explained the pilot.
About his collaboration to the team, Azevedo says that the experience he acquired during the 20 years racing in bikes, he applied to the cars and that this experience has been crucial to the teams good results. I was able to quickly adapt my experience with bikes on cars. I have been through all kinds of situations with bikes. I started, learned, and won. Last year we started in cars and we were Brazilian champions, 23rd position in Rally Dakar and we were in 1st in Dakars launching category. This year, we sought for our second championship in Brasileiro, in which we are leaders.
After another Sertões International Rally, Jean Azevedo and Youssef Haddad are focused on Rally Dakar 2010, in which they are already enrolled. We will start to settle everything up now. After this Sertões, we are highly motivated, 100% dedicated, warned the pilot.
Este texto foi escrito por: Lilian El Maerrawi