Although his 2023 race ended in a crash, Erik van Loon remains content with it being his final run at the Dakar Rally as a driver.
The biggest Dakar Rally Stage 8 stories were on two wheels as Ross Branch scored the upset for Hero and the top 3 in the overall Bike ranking are separated by 13 seconds.
With Nasser Al-Attiyah so far ahead in the Dakar Rally standings, there was no reason to push too hard s in Stage 8. This allowed Yazeed Al-Rajhi to rebound from his DNF to win the leg.
Dakar Rally Stage 6 was one to forget for Audi as Carlos Sainz and Stéphane Peterhansel crashed out and Nasser Al-Attiyah tightened his grip, while Husqvarna swept the Bike classes including a RallyGP 1–2.
As weather continues to put a literal damper on the Dakar Rally, Stages 7 and 8 have been modified with shorter lengths. The Bike race for Stage 7 has also been called off.
In a bizarre penalty, Yasir Seaidan has received a suspended disqualification from the Dakar Rally after co-driver Alexey Kuzmich wore a watch in the cockpit that isn’t the model given by the race.
Carlos Sainz Jr. was subject to an FIA investigation after he closed his dad’s door during Stage 3 of the Dakar Rally, but stewards decided no further action was necessary beyond warning against repeat events.
With rain in Dawadmi making it impossible for the Dakar Rally campers to set up shop, Stage 6 will be shortened by 100 km before heading to Riyadh for the 7th.
Rival Audi received a slight boost from the W2RC for the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally via Equivalence of Technology, but Nasser Al-Attiyah still kept them at bay for the T1 win.
Amid a difficult Dakar Rally for him and his fellow Prodrive Hunters, Sébastien Loeb was able to find light in the darkness by topping Stage #4.
Speaking to NRK Nyheter, retired World Rally and Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg revealed he has been training for a Dakar Rally run in 2024.
A downpour that created a difficult-to-traverse river resulted in Stage #3 of the Dakar Rally to be reduced from 477 kilometres to 377.
2023 Dakar Rally: Nasser Al-Attiyah returns to winning form as Hunters suffer punctures in Stage 2
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After a difficult start, defending Dakar Rally winner Nasser Al-Attiyah is back on top of the podium in Stage #2.
Carlos Sainz overcame an early tyre puncture to take Stage #1 Cars of the Dakar Rally, while Ricky Brabec took advantage of penalties to the leaders to win on Bikes.
The opening stage of the 2023 Dakar Rally came down to the slimmest of margins like Mattias Ekström beating Sébastien Loeb in the Cars by a second.
Riders Julio Estanguet and Ignacio Sanchís have pulled out of the 2023 Dakar Rally at the last minute. Estanguet suffered from thrombosis in his leg on the flight to the race, while Sanchis broke multiple bones in a shakedown crash on Thursday.
Argentine brothers Alejandro and Marcos Patronelli, who dominated the Dakar Rally when it was in South America in the 2010s, will run the race for the first time since 2016 in 2024.
