Hi, friends!
Nine-time World Rally champion Seb Loeb finally broke a duck with today's win on the special stage but with some technical problems because he had to drive without a power steering (I know the feeling because I had to more then once with my ex-rally car Citroen C2) so he is now badly exhausted and tomorrow morning he should continue like nothing happened on the way.
There was another problem for Loeb: alternator on his Bahrain BRX buggy broke down so he lost the electricity and that was another frustrating thing that ruins his confidence in the car and machinery.
On the other hand, Nasser Al-Attiyah didn't have any of the problems as he finished the special stage in 4th place just 2m06s from Loeb's tine. That means that Al-Attiyah stays in the comfortable lead of something more then 18 minutes of Yazeed Al-Rajhi, who is better and better from every special stage. Today he finished 5th but overall he is 2nd. Both guys from the front drive Toyota Hilux rally cars and that just shows how reliable these cars are.
Stephane Peterhansel is the best placed Audi driver in a fully electric car. He finished today's special stage in 2nd place, just 13s from Seb Loeb and now he is 3rd overall with some 40 seconds behind Al-Rajhi. I predict a big battle between these two guys but I would give more chances to Peterhansel because he is the driver with most wins on the Dakar Rally.
Carlos Sainz sr is in 4th place overall with more then half an hour behind Al-Attiyah but 30 minutes isn't that much on the events like Dakar. One bigger tire change and that's half an hour.
South-African Henk Lategan is a surprise of the rally if you ask me. He is in the 5th place overall in another Toyota Hilux, some 45 minutes behind a leader. It will be a big battle just until end of the rally and it just started.
Let the best win - as always...
Credit for photos and videos to Dakar and Youtube
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