MarathonRally.com: MR/HS/Dessoude

Lavieille - "This is a catastrophe for the small teams".

Dakar -- The French former FIA-Worldcup Winner and Nissan-Pilot Christian Lavieille could not hide his disappointment after the cancellation of the Dakar Rally 2008 yesterday: "I still find it difficult to realise that we will not be setting off tomorrow. It’s a nightmare, but we have to wake up. A lot of work has taken place to prepare the vehicles and to find budgets.

The least hit will be the factory teams, as they have solid backing behind them, but for the small teams, who will have to reimburse their clients and their sponsors, it is a catastrophe which could see a number of teams disappear. But there is a lot at stake, as safety has to be a priority.

However, this situation is difficult to accept, we are in chaos and the questions keep coming. If we decide to take part in the Transoriental rally in June, will our sponsors follow us? I hope we will find a solution so that everyone will meet up again.

And what about the 2009 Dakar? What will it be like? This is a serious disappointment! We have prepared for this edition of the Dakar throughout the season, taking part in Tunisia and Egypt, and we worked hard on the car. With François, we hoped to have a fine Dakar, and this has all been spoiled. I understand that plenty of people are disappointed this evening, and I am not the only one lamenting my fate. As far as the financial consequences, the worst is yet to come. But as they say, worse things can happen! However, at the moment, it is a bitter pill to swallow!"