P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The wait goes on for a stage victory for Nasser Al-Attiyah
Nasser Al-Attiyah showcased his driving prowess on the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally, helping Dacia stay in contention despite facing setbacks. Following Sebastian Loeb and team-mate Cristina Gutierrez’s exits, Al-Attiyah encountered challenges that saw him lose 35 minutes on the fourth stage. Despite this, he launched a relentless attack on the 492km stage from Alula to Hail, securing a comfortable victory by 10 minutes. Unfortunately, his joy was short-lived as he received a 10-minute penalty for a missing spare wheel, resulting in Seth Quintaro clinching the stage win by a second. As a result, Al-Attiyah currently sits in fourth place, trailing overall leader Henk Lategan by 35 minutes. Ford’s Mattias Ekstrom also made gains, maintaining his third position in the general classification after the fifth stage.
