Dakar 2023 – Stage 8: Loeb inherits the victory at the expense of Sainz

On the eve of the rest day, Sébastien Loeb continued to exert (distant) pressure on Nasser Al-Attiyah. The BRX driver, recording the second-best time of the day, took advantage of a penalty imposed on Carlos Sainz to seize his 18th stage victory of his career in the Dakar.

Never two without three for Audi. After two days marked by the abandonment of Stéphane Peterhansel and the major setbacks of Carlos Sainz and Matthias Ekström, this eighth stage once again offered its share of troubles to the Ingolstadt teams. Despite finishing with the best time, the Spanish driver was penalized with a five-minute penalty for exceeding the speed limit in a restricted zone. As for the Swedish driver, he had to once again bring out his toolbox to help his ailing Audi.

Nasser Al-Attiyah continues to manage himself. Second after Sainz’s penalty, the Qatari driver has increased his lead over his nearest competitor overall. Arriving with a time that is two minutes faster than Henk Lategan at the finish line, the defending champion still enjoys a comfortable lead of over one hour at the halfway point.

Although shorter in distance, the second week of the Dakar rally will be no less grueling. The sand, which is already more prevalent towards the end of the week, will be the main challenge for the competitors until they reach Dammam. The highlight of this second part of the rally will be the passage through the Empty Quarter. The drivers must be wary, especially the leader Nasser Al-Attiyah. Having avoided major troubles so far, the Qatari will have to play the role of a tightrope walker, balancing between measured attack and managing both the team and the mechanics.

Stage 8 ranking

General ranking