At the halfway point of the Dakar Rally, The Dacia Sandriders will start the second week full of fight for the tough challenge ahead.
Contesting the hugely demanding FIA World Rally-Raid Championship for the first time, the team has impressed with its pace and potential in Saudi Arabia, tackling some of the world’s most demanding terrains, but not without experiencing a few challenging moments.
The experience and knowledge gained so far, as well as the exemplary teamwork on show, leaves the team full of belief for the remaining 2,464 competitive kilometres.
Tiphanie Isnard, Team Principal of The Dacia Sandriders said: “We expected a tough week for our first Dakar, and it has certainly been the case. But as a young team with a young car, we have been able to improve our understanding with every kilometre completed during the first week. It was a big disappointment and frustrating moment for all of the team when we lost the #219 Dacia Sandrider, and for Sébastien and Fabian, who had done a fantastic job. The team spirit has been so impressive, and it was fantastic to see them all helping each other, especially Cristina and Pablo, who are paving the way for The Dacia Sandriders. Each member of the team is feeling that spirit and now we have learnt lots of things, so let’s see what’s possible next week.”
The teamwork was particularly notable on Stage 4, on Wednesday. Having helped Nasser Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger continue after their Dacia Sandrider suffered a suspension failure caused by the punishing terrain, Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno came to the rescue again at the overnight halt in AlUla following the competition of the first marathon stage.
With marathon stage rules preventing outside assistance apart from help provided by other FIA competing crews, Moreno, a qualified mechanic, worked with the team’s T5 crew to swap the gearboxes of both cars ready for Stage 5.
Gutiérrez and Moreno had earlier helped Sébastien Loeb, and Fabian Lurquin with spare parts and a replacement tyre following their roll that happened on Stage 3 of the Rally, when an electrical issue struck Loeb and Lurquin’s Sandrider on Stage 2.
With five stages now run, Al-Attiyah and Boulanger are fourth in the overall classification, 35 minutes behind the leaders, having come within just one second of banking the first Dakar Rally stage win for the team on Thursday’s fifth stage. Gutiérrez and Moreno are in 45th due to their non-finish on Stage 2.
THE DACIA SANDRIDERS KEY MOMENTS SO FAR
Stage 1 (Saturday 4 January): Gutiérrez / Moreno are fifth fastest. Loeb / Lurquin take a strategic approach to secure an advantageous road position for Stage 2 and go 22nd quickest. Al-Attiyah / Boulanger are delayed changing a damaged tyre and a failure of the tablet used for navigation and the on-stage Sentinel security system.
Stage 2 (Sunday 4 January – Monday 5 January): Al-Attiyah / Boulanger complete the 48H Chrono stage in third overall. Loeb / Lurquin hold second after 409km but are stationary for 40 minutes while an electronic issue is rectified. Gutiérrez / Moreno are unable to go beyond the 792km mark due to a power steering failure.
Stage 3 (Tuesday 5 January): Loeb / Lurquin roll after just 12km, but they make it to the stage finish. Unfortunately, they sustained damage to the roll cage which prevents them from continuing. Al-Attiyah / Boulanger move up to second place with the sixth quickest time. Gutiérrez / Moreno are 14th quickest following their restart, stopping in the stage to assist Loeb / Lurquin.
Stage 4 (Wednesday 6 January): Starting Stage 4, the first marathon stage, in second position, Al-Attiyah / Boulanger are forced to stop after 97km to change a damaged left-rear tyre. A further stoppage following 118km of challenging terrain proves more extensive, with the pair stationary for 26 minutes due to a suspension issue. It requires the assistance of Gutiérrez / Moreno for them to continue, but they slip to seventh in the overall standings. It’s 35m35s off the lead.
Stage 5: (Thursday 7 January): Al-Attiyah / Boulanger charge through the 428km stage with the fastest time. But, due to a spare wheel missing after the supporting frame fails, a 10-minute penalty is applied, and they lose the stage win by one second. Nevertheless, they reach the rest day in fourth overall. Gutiérrez / Moreno continue to perform their exemplary supporting role. They set the 15th fastest time.
LOEB’S FOCUS NOW SWITCHES TO ABU DHABI
Sébastien Loeb has already switched his focus to the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, round two of the 2025 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, taking place between the 21 – 27 February. It follows the Frenchman’s early exit from the Dakar Rally after a high-speed roll that happened on Stage 3. Despite incredible determination and a huge team effort following the accident, a decision by the Stewards in response to a deformation of the safety cage prevented Loeb and Lurquin from continuing.
Loeb, who had been in fightback mode after a delay of 40 minutes, due to an electrical issue when running in second place on the 48H Chrono stage on Sunday, said: “It’s really frustrating to head back to Jeddah to fly home instead of being in the car fighting it out on the stages. As for our roll, I’m honestly at a bit of a loss for words. It wasn’t from pushing too hard; we just got caught out by a bad compression, simple as that! There wasn’t much we could do in the moment.
“These things happen, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. Still, I’m with Cristina, Pablo, Nasser, Édouard and the entire team in spirit and I wish them all the best for the second week. I have no doubt they will make themselves proud.”
DAKAR PROVISIONAL OVERALL RESULTS AFTER STAGE 5 (UNOFFICIAL
4th: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Édouard Boulanger (FRA), +35m00s
48th: Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP) / Pablo Moreno (ESP), +37h34m39s
DAKAR RALLY 2025: THE BIG NUMBER
4,245: There is still another 4,245km, including 2,464 against the clock, to go before the finish of the 2025 Dakar Rally in Shubaytah, eastern Saudi Arabia, on Friday 17 January.
