"Stage 11 is about regularity. There's precision there, and at that point, we were almost very precise. Our approach, departure, angles, exits, steering, reaching a certain speed, braking, and so on were truly consistent," Shammie said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
According to Shammie, the nature of the stage 11 track demands consistency and calm decision-making. "There's almost no handicap, the roads are flat sand. Once the road is flat, we're confident, but once the climbs start, we're dead," he said.
Shammie won Stage 11 of the 2026 Dakar Rally in a classic Toyota Bundera with what he said was the lowest power output of any driver.
He emphasized that the Dakar Classic challenges involve physical endurance, mental toughness, and quick thinking. "And we have to think about execution. It's not just physical fatigue, but mental fatigue as well. The information we gather and the execution must be swift," said the General Chairman of the Land Rover Club Indonesia.
The extreme conditions of the Saudi Arabian desert also played a role. Shammie described the stark contrast in temperature throughout the day. "In the desert, it's very cold in the morning, and very hot in the afternoon, dehydrating us inside our wearpacks," he said.
