Thursday’s 420km test between Al-‘Ula and Yanbu was Sebastien Loeb’s final significant opportunity to close the gap on Audi’s Carlos Sainz Sr in the overall standings at the 2024 Dakar Rally. Unfortunately, Loeb’s ambitions for a maiden victory were dashed when he collided with a large rock, damaging the front-right A-arm on his Prodrive Hunter.
Facing a 13-minute deficit on one of the most challenging stages of the Dakar, Loeb called for assistance from the Prodrive truck, which was not positioned at the start of the special. Fortunately, YunXiang China driver Zi Yungang arrived at the scene, carrying the necessary spare parts for Loeb’s Hunter.
Despite multiple punctures, Loeb managed to limp his damaged car to the finish line. However, he slipped to third in the standings behind Guillaume de Mevius in the Overdrive Toyota. The absence of Nasser Al-Attiyah, who withdrew from Dakar on Stage 9, meant Loeb had to navigate the challenging stage alone, putting him at a disadvantage compared to Team Audi, who worked together to support Sainz.
Reflecting on the situation, Loeb acknowledged the difficulty of competing against Audi as a lone driver, stating, “Fighting alone against a complete team like Audi is difficult.”
Addressing Al-Attiyah’s withdrawal, Loeb mentioned that it was not a decision they made but admitted that, given the circumstances of the stage, they had little chance against the cohesive Audi team.
Loeb’s challenges continued even after his car was repaired at the 132km mark, as he endured three more punctures on the way to the finish line. With a limited supply of spare tires, Loeb had to crawl to the finish at reduced speed, using “three completely destroyed tires.”
Despite contemplating giving up on finishing the stage, Loeb’s hopes were revived when Yungang, another Prodrive driver, came to his rescue. This unexpected assistance allowed Loeb to continue the race and stay in contention for a podium finish.
In summary, Thursday’s stage proved to be a significant setback for Sebastien Loeb in his pursuit of victory at the Dakar Rally, highlighting the challenges of competing against a coordinated team like Audi, especially when facing technical issues in a grueling stage.
