Two other contenders push hard as Dakar stage tests the field
Nasser Al-Attiyah kept his lead after a grueling seventh stage and managed to salvage a difficult day. The Qatari driver, at the helm of a Toyota, navigated the challenges left in the wake of today’s cancellation affecting two categories and the open track, along with motorcycles and quads. For a stretch, Al-Attiyah conceded a brief gap to Yazeed Al-Rajhi, who chose caution in light of Dakar announcing a half marathon style segment. Al-Rajhi understood the moment and kept the pace steady, knowing endurance mattered more than risk for a stage with limited end-of-day assistance.
The evening scene shifted as Al-Rajhi, a hometown hero in the desert rally, gave his all and crossed the line at 8:45 after a bold run. Lithuanian driver Zala and Hunter, steering the Prodrive entry, were close in pursuit. France’s Chicherit, piloting a GKC machine, finished in third, while Al-Attiyah trailed by nearly 20 minutes but still secured first place in the overall Toyota lineup against his nearest rival, South African Brett Lategan, staying ahead by about one hour and one minute overall.
Another tough day for Audi
The day did not spare Mattias Ekström, who led provisional qualifying at kilometer 196 with an eight minute cushion over Guerlain Chicherit, but an early kilometer into the stage saw a technical setback halt his momentum. Following recent crashes involving Carlos Sainz and Stéphane Peterhansel in the prior leg, Audi faced more misfortune as Ekström’s RS Q e-tron E2 suffered suspension damage, ending the car’s podium hopes for the four-ring team at Dakar.
To compound the drama, Carlos Sainz stopped to assist Ekström, derailing any chance of pursuing victory in the stage. Sainz, now carrying a substantial time penalty of 28 hours 45 minutes, began the run at a strong pace, placing 68th among private entries. His intention to chase stage wins remained, but as he reached the Swede in trouble, he chose to help repair the car rather than press for a personal best, deferring any immediate gains in the stage results while the overall standings continued to unfold.