Sainz handed 10-minute penalty as Dakar resumes

Bengaluru, January 16: After a day of enforced stoppage, Dakar Rally resumes with the 10th stage -- a 373km timed section between Salta and Belen in Argentina on Tuesday (January 16).

There was a pause in proceedings at the 2018 Dakar Rally as stage nine fell victim to torrential rain in Bolivia. Instead of racing against the clock to Salta the entire Dakar convoy travelled on the assistance route. Now the race has arrived in Argentina where it will conclude after five more days of fierce competition.

Sainz leads as weather plays spoilsport again

There was drama off the field as well with leader Carlos Sainz being handed a a 10-minute penalty for an alleged collision with Dutch quadbike rider Kees Koolen earlier in the race.

The sanction means the Spaniard's lead over Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah has been reduced to 56 minutes and 37 seconds.

Sainz denied hitting any quadbikes during the fourth stage and his team Peugeot indicated they would appeal.

Dakar leader Carlos Sainz gets 10-minute penalty after claims made by a quad rider, and Peugeot hits out at the decision https://t.co/8XfOplqqYM

— Autosport (@autosport) January 15, 2018

"Nobody really can understand this penalty," Peugeot Sport head Bruno Famin told motorsport.com.

"This leaves the door open to anything. If any competitor can say that he almost collided with another, we will all have a 10-minute penalty."

Koolen had complained that double world rally champion and 2010 Dakar winner Sainz had hit his quadbike and failed to stop.

There are five stages remaining to be run in the event which started in Lima, Peru, and ends in the Argentine city of Cordoba on Januray 20.

There are still plenty more twists in the road before anyone will start to feel safe about their position at this year's FIA event which has already claimed high-profile retirements including that of Sebastien Loeb and Andre Villas-Boas.

In the leaderboard, behind Sainz there is an intense four-way battle for the remaining two podium spots.

Two-time champion Al Attiyah is second overall, 1h06m37s behind Sainz. Then it is Sainz's Peugeot team-mate and defending champion Stephane Peterhansel of France in third, seven minutes off Al Attiyah.

Then comes Al Attiyah's Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team-mates Berhard Ten Brinke of the Netherlands and South Africa's Giniel De Villiers who are fourth and fifth overall and within striking distance of the podium.

(With Agency/Red Bull Media inputs)