The mood was not the best at Prodrive assistance following Nasser Al-Attiyah's double withdrawal from the 2024 Dakar, as the Qatari bid farewell to any chance of winning his sixth Touareg trophy after mechanical problems suffered on his Hunter. Despite being one of the fastest in the first week, even winning a special stage, he was forced to retire first due to engine failure and then due to a suspension problem in the ninth stage, all on two consecutive days.
The reigning world champion's anger was palpable, as he hoped to achieve a good result in one of the races he considers his due to its proximity to Qatar, but after a “long discussion” with the team, he decided to leave the Al field -Ula to return home and prepare for the clay pigeon shooting championship ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which she hopes to participate in.
After speaking with a small group of media, including Motorsport.com, Nasser-Al Attiyah had an hour-long meeting with team leaders and, after leaving for the airport in a car with one of his friends closer, Prodrive director David Richards was asked about the situation.
When asked if he had spoken to the Qatari, he said he had “spent time with Nasser”, who he noted was “sad”, as it was a very important race for him: “I think you have to understand that this it's his race, he's with all his friends in this area near Qatar: everyone sends him messages, on social media, everywhere.”
“It's once a year and I know how it feels, like when it comes to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. You have the chance to win it once a year, and I know the feeling when it goes wrong,” he said. explained the manager of the British team. “It's a great desperation, and I can empathize, I can understand how it feels.”
Their paths will continue to cross next year too, because the five-time Dakar winner has already signed an agreement with Dacia, whose program will always be supported by Prodrive. Richards, however, is convinced that tomorrow, in the cold, the Qatari will already see things from a different perspective: “I think that when he wakes up tomorrow he will start to evaluate things better”.
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