Dakar 2023

[M5Rick]

Being held in Saudi Arabia with Audi entering the rally with competitive buggies and Carlos Sainz snr leading at the end of Stage 2 in one of them.

[P1]

Saudi Arabia? Aren't they going from Paris to Dakar any longer?

[M5Rick]

^ Not any more, security threats in Mauritania made the rally move to South America for 2009 until 2019, then it moved to Saudi from 2020.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

^ Not any more, security threats in Mauritania made the rally move to South America for 2009 until 2019, then it moved to Saudi from 2020.

[P1]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

^ Not any more, security threats in Mauritania made the rally move to South America for 2009 until 2019, then it moved to Saudi from 2020.

So Paris Dakar ceased to exist? Why still call it Dakar then? Just call it "driving around Saudi Arabia 2023".

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

I would guess it was a fuel leak from the full tank or lines hit by sharp shingles and the speed the fire spread gave them no chance to use the fire extinguisher.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by P1

So Paris Dakar ceased to exist? Why still call it Dakar then? Just call it "driving around Saudi Arabia 2023".

Probably the protected name for legal reasons for what it is known as, it is called 'The Dakar' wherever the rally raid is held.
Should the original route not be exposed to danger from terrorist factions anymore then I would think the rally would revert back to it's original tract.

[M5Rick]

Todays Stage 3 will be a total of 670km of which 223km will be fast road and all eyes will be on Sainz if he can maintain his lead against Al-Attiyah. Good luck Carlos!
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=st...id:7hCJhQxTqAw

[M5Rick]

Audi make history by winning Stage 3 with Sainz maintaining the lead in the RS Q.
Al-Attiyah drops to 8th and Loeb is struggling out of the top ten. It's looking good for the 'Matador'.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=da...id:Xg-1lY3TwUI

[M5Rick]

As luck would have it the Matador had a problem around the L/R corner of the buggy but got going again.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=da...id:hykw1UdR5xw

[M5Rick]

A broken ball joint that was fixed by roadside and puncture repair problems with tools breaking and using rocks to jack up vehicle after the vehicle jack broke has put Sainz down the order but he's managed to haul the Audi back up to 4th with Al-Attiyah's Toyota now leading after the 4th Stage.
https://www.autosport.com/dakar/news...ight/10416842/

[M5Rick]

A-A still leading after Stage 5 but anything can happen with quite a few stages left to go.
https://www.evoindia.com/motorsport/...to-extend-lead

[M5Rick]

Looks like it's over for the Audi's with Peterhansel crashing badly and Sainz having some damage when a tyre separated from a wheel off on a steep gradient causing damage, the hybrids are about 100kg heavier than normal buggies which doesn't help and there's a sole Audi left in 5th.
https://www.motorsport.com/dakar/new...ge-6/10417836/

[M5Rick]

Stage 8 sees Dakar die hard LOEB up to fourth overall yesterday, anything can happen with Sainz winning stage 8 initially but given a 5 minute time penalty for speeding..what? it is a race. He remains out of the top ten overall.
https://www.motorsport.com/dakar/new...lead/10418344/

[M5Rick]

Believe it or not it's just halfway through the Dakar with LOEB finding himself in second overall 39 minutes behind leader A-A who lost time with a broken diff..long way to go yet and Loeb has the Arab in his sights.
A Pole, Przygonski is vying for 5th in his Mini and Ekstrom recovering in his Audi is 11th.
https://www.autosport.com/dakar/news...fifth/7192397/

[Top speed]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

Stage 8 sees Dakar die hard LOEB up to fourth overall yesterday, anything can happen with Sainz winning stage 8 initially but given a 5 minute time penalty for speeding..what? it is a race. He remains out of the top ten overall.
https://www.motorsport.com/dakar/new...lead/10418344/

Dakar rally has speed limit zones that all competitors have to adhere to. Apparently Sainz exceeded the speed limit by 77km/h hence the penalty.

Would love to see Nasser Al Attiyah and the Toyota GR hilux triumphant again.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Top speed

Dakar rally has speed limit zones that all competitors have to adhere to. Apparently Sainz exceeded the speed limit by 77km/h hence the penalty.

Would love to see Nasser Al Attiyah and the Toyota GR hilux triumphant again.

Yeah just read Sainz's temperamental GPS may have been the cause of that.

[M5Rick]

Stage 10 runs tomorrow, giving the remaining entrants time to rest their aching bones.

[M5Rick]

Sainz is out of the Dakar after rolling his Audi taking a dune jump too quickly on the previous stage and too much damage on it to continue leaving just one RS Q of Ekstrom left.
Stage 10 has started with Loeb being quickest so far trying to reduce the overall gap to leader Al-Attiyah.
https://www.dakar.com/en/stage-10/car

[M5Rick]

Stage 10 winner Loeb's drive, Stage 11 will effectively be the last chance for big movement in the standings.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=...id:qPzCYubpl7k

[M5Rick]

Loeb continues to take stage wins and has a chance to grab second overall in the remaining stages but Al-Attiyah seems to have the win in the bag.
https://www.autosport.com/dakar/news...eads/10419866/

[Killed by Death]