P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Al-Attiyah ‘doesn’t want to go back to this car’ after Dakar exit
Defending event winner Nasser Al-Attiyah had a rough time in Dakar 2024 after switching from Toyota to Prodrive. Multiple accidents and reliability issues forced him to withdraw from the event. His hopes of securing a sixth victory ended when his Prodrive Hunter suffered severe damage in a hard landing during the chrono test. Although he could have salvaged some points in the World Rally-Raid Championship, an engine breakdown led to his withdrawal from Stage 8. On Stage 9, a rear suspension problem forced him to return to the bivouac, and he officially withdrew from the rally. Al-Attiyah expressed doubt about continuing with Prodrive and announced his plan to join Renault brand Dacia in 2025. His former teammate Sebastien Loeb was surprised by Al-Attiyah’s reliability issues, as his own car seemed fine. Al-Attiyah’s driving style had previously helped him avoid similar problems with Toyota, where he won three of his five Dakar titles.
