Dakar 2023 – Stage 4: Loeb narrowly prevails over Peterhansel

Finally, a worry-free day for Sébastien Loeb on this Dakar. After two days that saw him accumulate punctures and technical issues, the Alsatian driver secured his 17th victory in the world’s biggest Rally-Raid, in this first loop around Ha’il.

With a total distance of 573 kilometers, including a special stage of 425 kilometers, this fourth stage witnessed a battle of giants between the nine-time rally world champion and the record holder for Dakar victories, Stéphane Peterhansel. Leading in the first part of the special stage, which showcased long sandy stretches, Peterhansel proved that his Audi RS Q e-Tron E2 would be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming dunes, which will dominate the rally’s second week. However, Loeb took the lead towards the end of the stage when the sand gave way to rocky tracks, eventually securing victory with a mere 13-second advantage over his rival.

Behind, it was also a duel between two favorites that animated this stage. Carlos Sainz and Nasser Al-Attiyah exchanged blows for the third place, thus recalling their fierce battles from the South American Dakar when both drivers were teammates at Volkswagen.

“Winner yesterday, Guerlain Chicherit unfortunately had a difficult day. Suffering from mechanical issues, the Frenchman also unfortunately found himself on his side in a low-speed sandy section. A stylistic figure with no physical consequences for the BRX Hunter crew, car number 206.”

Generally, Al-Attiyah is increasing his lead over his closest competitor, Saudi Arabian driver Yazeed Al Rajhi. As for the latter, he sees Stéphane Peterhansel getting closer, with less than a minute separating them now. Peterhansel continues to make up time at the top of the leaderboard after a challenging start to the rally.

Ranking Stage 4

General ranking