Sebastien Loeb pulled off a sensational comeback in the challenging Shubaytah stage of the Dakar Rally, reigniting his title challenge. Starting the day in third place, Loeb had a daunting 5-minute and 19-second deficit to make up on the leading Audi duo, Carlos Sainz Sr and Mattias Ekstrom. However, the nine-time World Rally Championship was unfazed and quickly overtook both Audis, first Ekstrom and then Sainz, to claim a commanding victory. Loeb finished the stage a remarkable 2 minutes and 1 second ahead of Sainz, securing his second stage win of the year and the 25th of his career.
Unfortunately for the reigning champion, Nasser Al-Attiyah, his hopes of a third consecutive Dakar title were dashed. Al-Attiyah had briefly moved up to fifth place during the stage, but mechanical issues in his Prodrive Hunter forced him to a halt 530km into the race. Although he managed to limp to the finish line, the lengthy repairs cost him nearly three hours, effectively ending his chances of a successful title defense. Al-Attiyah slipped to 17th place in the provisional classification, and his overall ranking is likely to drop further as more drivers complete the stage.
Following Al-Attiyah’s setback, Audi now holds a clear advantage in the overall standings. Carlos Sainz Sr leads the pack, 20 minutes and 21 seconds ahead of his teammate Mattias Ekstrom. Sebastien Loeb is the closest challenger, but he trails the Audi duo by a substantial margin of 29 minutes and 31 seconds. With six stages remaining in the second week of the rally, Loeb faces an uphill battle to catch up to the leaders.
Guillaume de Mevius from Overdrive heads the Toyota contingent in fourth place, closely followed by Lucas Moraes and Giniel de Villiers. All three drivers have already lost an hour to Sainz, making their pursuit of the podium a challenging task. Martin Prokop from MP Sports Ford, Mathieu Serradori from Century, Guy Bottrell from Toyota, and Eryk Goczal complete the top 10.
The Dakar Rally will resume following the traditional mid-rally halt on Sunday. Drivers will face a demanding 483km stage from Riyadh to Al-Duwadimi at the restart. This stage will test the competitors’ skills and endurance, providing new opportunities for both the leaders and the trailing contenders.
Sebastien Loeb’s superb performance in the Shubaytah stage has injected fresh excitement into the Dakar Rally. With his stunning comeback, Loeb has proved that he is a force to be reckoned with in the second week of the race. Meanwhile, Nasser Al-Attiyah’s misfortune has handed Audi a significant advantage in the overall standings. The remaining stages promise intense competition and unpredictable twists. As the drivers continue to battle the challenging terrain, only time will tell who will emerge as the ultimate champion of the grueling Dakar Rally.
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