The Dacia Sandriders acknowledges the Decision of the Stewards to disqualify Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin from the 2025 Dakar Rally as a result of deformation sustained to the #219 Dacia Sandrider during an accident on Stage 3 of the event today (Tuesday January 7).
Following the accident, a thorough inspection of the #219 Dacia Sandrider was carried out by technicians from The Dacia Sandriders under the close supervision of the team’s technical director, Philip Dunabin, and engineering consultant, David Lapworth.
Having been summoned to a Stewards’ hearing in response to a report issued by the FIA Technical Delegate, representatives of The Dacia Sandriders made a submission to the Stewards.
The Dacia Sandriders stated that calculations to verify the structure of the car’s safety cage were made and concluded that a section of the structure, although deformed, is not integral to the strength of the structure and, therefore, does not impact the safety of the car.
While safety is always of paramount importance, The Dacia Sandriders shares the disappointment of Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin following the Decision of the Stewards and decided to lodge an appeal.