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Dakar 2022: Sebastien Loeb wins Stage 2, cuts gap with Nasser Al Attiyah
Bengaluru, January 4: World Rally Championship (WRC) legend Sebastien Loeb got the bit between his teeth and hunted down Nasser Al Attiyah, setting the day's fastest time in the process in the Saudi Arabian deserts to clinch Stage 2 of Dakar Rally 2022.
The nine-time WRC winner is no stranger to setting records and his 15th Dakar stage win was also the first for Team Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX).
It is only the second day of the 2022 FIA Dakar Rally and already the leading contenders have decided that the best form of defence is full attack.
Top speed over the dunes paid dividends for many on Stage 2 as big risks delivered big rewards during 339kms against the clock.
The first stage win for Loeb's Team BRX Prodrive Hunter on the Dakar Rally came after 3 hrs and 25min of hard driving through the northern parts of Saudi Arabia.
It is also the very first Dakar stage victory by a car using sustainable fuel, as the Hunter runs on Prodrive EcoPower made from agricultural waste that reduces CO2 emissions by 80 per cent.
The result also saw Loeb cut Al Attiyah's advantage in a Toyota Hilux to 9min, 16sec ahead of Tuesday's (January 4) 255kms special from Al Artawiya to Al Qaysumah.
Loeb's team-mates Nani Roma and Alex Haro further confirmed the pace of the Hunter with a fifth place on the stage for the all Spanish crew as competitors tackled the first big dunes of the 44th Dakar.
"It was a real battle as Nasser was pushing very hard over the sand as he was opening the stage and really fast. We pushed hard like we were on a WRC rally for 340kms, so it was exciting and really tough, but we have a fantastic result at the end," said Loeb after completing the stage.
Loeb vs Al Attiyah
"Towards the end of the stage, Nasser and I were driving together through the dunes, but then there were a lot of stones. I tried to lead so I could pick the line and try to avoid a puncture so we could finish the stage well," added Loeb.
Though Al Attiyah missed out on a third consecutive stage win, the Qatari driver does still retain his overall lead in the car category. Expectations are high in the bivouac for another battle on Tuesday between the T1+ machines of the ace Qatari and the Frenchman.
Better day
"We were able to go fast today and we always enjoy that. I think this will be an extremely fast Dakar all the way to the end. The performance of our T1+ is really fantastic," said Al Attiyah, the three-time Dakar Rally champion.
It was a much better day for Audi Sport compared with their struggles on Stage 1. All three Audi RS Q e-tron machines placed inside the Top 10 of the car race on Stage 2.
Spanish rally legend Carlos Sainz led the team's charge as he finished third, less than 6min back from Loeb. 14-time Dakar winner and France's defending champion Stephane Peterhansel posted the day's fifth fastest time, a result made all the more remarkable considering he did not get back to the bivouac last night until long after sunset.
Marathon bivouac
This is the first stage we finish without a technical problem and it feels really good," said Peterhansel. Completing a fine day for Audi's trio was Sweden's Mattias Ekstrom who drove to ninth place on Stage 2.
After Stage 2, the Dakar convoy congregates at the Al Qaisumah bivouac due to the proposed Marathon bivouac at Al Artawiyah being washed out by heavy rains.
Pure race
No racing distance has been lost as a result of the weather and Tuesday's 368kms special stage remains in tact.
Will pure pace once again win the day or will race leaders now look to protect their hard earned gains? Watch out! The 2022 FIA Dakar Rally concludes in Jeddah on January 14.
(With Red Bull Media/Team BRX Media inputs)
Story first published: Tuesday, January 4, 2022, 12:45 [IST]
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