The Dacia Sandriders leads the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge after Sébastien Loeb claimed the Stage 2 victory today (Monday) ahead of team-mate Nasser Al-Attiyah following a highly impressive and dominant performance.
Second overnight, Loeb and navigator Fabien Lurquin took 3h09m35s to complete the 228 timed kilometres to move to the top of the overall provisional classification by 41s. Their effort was 1m37s faster than the time recorded by Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger, who were hampered by a cracked spring.
It was Loeb and Lurquin’s first stage win in this season’s FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) and Loeb’s 21st W2RC stage victory in total.
Having set three fastest stage times during last October’s Rallye du Maroc, its competition debut, The Dacia Sandriders has now won five W2RC stages following on from Al-Attiyah and Boulanger’s triumph on Stage 9 of the Dakar Rally last month.
By brushing aside their cracked spring, Al-Attiyah and Boulanger climbed from fourth to third in the overall order, 2m52s adrift of Loeb and Lurquin with three stages of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge remaining.
Loeb, from France, and Belgian Lurquin began today’s Mezeer’ah loop stage (Stage 2) in second position and moved in front after 139 kilometres of challenging competition in the south of Abu Dhabi’s Liwa region.
After negotiating a section across salt flats and in ambient temperatures approaching 40 degrees centigrade, Loeb and Lurquin conquered giant dunes close to the border with Saudi Arabia before reaching the finish back in Mezeer’ah as the new leaders.
Having led Stage 1 before a damaged tyre dropped him to fourth, Qatari driver Al-Attiyah’s bid for a fifth Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge victory took another frustrating twist due to a rear spring fracture early in Stage 2. Despite the hindrance, Al-Attiyah used all his driving skill to complete today’s route with the second quickest time in his sustainable-fuelled Dacia Sandrider, which set the pace on Saturday’s Prologue. The 1-2 performance was a first for The Dacia Sandriders.
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge continues tomorrow (Tuesday) with part one of the event’s first Marathon Stage.
Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar), drivern The Dacia Sandriders : « It was a very difficult stage, not easy from the beginning. We broke the rear spring, and it was not easy to manage with the speed. But, okay, it’s good to finish. In the last part I tried to push a little bit but to have a spring broken is not easy. »
Sébastien Loeb (France), driver, The Dacia Sandriders : « The day was good, we tried to push hard in this stage. At the beginning we were losing a little bit of time, I know because when we stopped [at the Neutra point], we see at what time we started again. So the second part of the stage I tried to really push to the maximum. We did a good day with no mistake and the car was really good, so no problem. »
ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE STAGE 2 RESULTS – Mezeer’ah-Mezeer’ah
Stage distance: 228km / Liaison distance: 74km / Total distance: 302km
1st: Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Fabian Lurquin (BEL), 3h09m35s
2nd: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Édouard Boulanger (FRA), 3h11m12s
ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE PROVISIONAL OVERALL RESULTS AFTER STAGE 2
1st: Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Fabian Lurquin (BEL), 6h08m10s
3rd: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Édouard Boulanger (FRA), 6h11m02s
ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE: THE BIG NUMBER
21: Sébastien Loeb is now a 21-time stage winner in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship following his quickest run through Stage 2 of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in the Dacia Sandrider he shares with navigator Fabian Lurquin.
THE DAY AHEAD: STAGE 3, FEBRUARY 25
Stage 3 tomorrow (Tuesday February 25) forms part one of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge’s inaugural Marathon Stage, which means crews will turn mechanics at the completion of the opening 388 kilometres due to regulations preventing assistance from team personnel.
Stage distance: 237km / Liaison distance: 151km / Total distance: 388km
After receiving a one-minute penalty for a false start, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger now finish Stage 2 in 3rd place. They hold onto their 3rd position in the overall classification.
OFFICIAL : Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge / Stage 2 classification after penalty:
1. Sébastien Loeb / Fabian Lurquin 3h09m35s
2. Lucas Moraes / Armand Monleon +1m42s
3. Nasser Al-Attiyah / Édouard Boulanger +2m37s
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge / Overall Classification after penalty
1. Sébastien Loeb / Fabian Lurquin 6h08m10s
2. Lucas Moraes / Armand Monleon +41s
3. Nasser Al-Attiyah / Édouard Boulanger +3m52s