P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The 436km stage from Ha’il to AlUla, where the Dakar started 11 days ago was a Sebastian Loeb playground, leading
In the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally, Audi used their team strategy effectively to support their drivers. Carlos Sainz maintained his lead with a 24-minute advantage and engaged in a close battle with Lucas Moraes. However, Sainz managed to distance himself from the Toyota Gazoo Racing pair at km 343. Behind the leading duo, Guerlain Chicherit and Guillaume de Mevius had their own competitive fight, followed closely by Mathieu Serradori. Giniel de Villiers and Seth Quintero dropped out of the top 10, as Vaidotas Zala and Denis Krotov took their places. Stephane Peterhansel moved up into the top 10, while Moraes struggled with navigation and lost 11 minutes. Serradori finished an impressive third, followed by de Mevius, Botterill/Cummings, and Krotov. Navigation and mechanical issues affected de Villiers and Quintero, placing them in 12th and 16th positions respectively. Another notable performance came from Sa’ood Variawa/Francois Cazalet, who improved from a 50th starting position to achieve the 19th and 14th best times in the last two stages. Sebastien Loeb won the stage, while Sainz maintained his overall lead. Adrien Van Beveren won his second stage in the motorcycle category, and Honda secured a 1-2-3 finish with Ricky Brabec and Pablo Quintanilla completing the podium. Brabec extended his overall lead over Ross Branch, while Van Beveren moved up to third place.
