Technical knockout for Loeb
Four stage victories, including the two most prestigious, are not enough to make the balance positive for Sebastien Loeb. The Alsatian had started with the clear objective of winning the 46th edition of the Dakar, but the Hunter Prodrive had too many reliability problems to allow the nine-time WRC champion to achieve his first victory in the most famous raid in the world.
“I don't want to get into this car anymore“, thundered Nasser Al-Attiyah before definitively withdrawing from the Dakar. Yesterday Loeb was called upon to perform a miracle, reducing the 13 minute delay from Carlos Sainz by being able to count on only two spare wheels in a stage characterized by stone-strewn terrain. The Spaniard, however, had his Audi brand mates Ekstrom and Peterhansel ready to 'sacrifice' tires and components to guarantee the integrity of Sainz's hybrid buggy.
“In first gear we skidded over the top of a hill and I must have hit a stone I hadn't seen – explained Loeb as reported by today's edition of the sports newspaper L'Equipe – I hit the stone with the right front wheel and the suspension triangle broke“. Loeb was on the verge of retiring, when he then managed to wait for his brand mate Yungang Zi who 'gave up' his suspension arm to Loeb to allow the latter to continue a stage in which in the end there were a total of punctures been five.
Today Loeb will try to save his fifth podium in eight participations in the Dakar. He has a five minute lead over Toyota driver Chicherit. Loeb's bitterness at having missed the big target is nevertheless profound: “The Hunter Prodrive was built with performance as a priority, but it is too fragile“. The lack of testing and development in the last two years compared to what was invested by Toyota and Audi has taken its toll in 2024. A missed opportunity for Loeb, who has very little to complain about in terms of driving as evidenced by the four victories in stage.
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