P1racenews AI automatic summary:
This was the big one – a mammoth stage – 547km of dune racing – some soaring 250m high –
Several teams, including Sebastian Loeb and the three Audi Sport crews, strategically decided to lose time on stage five in order to start further back and follow the tracks of the leaders. Carlos Sainz initially led Stephane Peterhansel by 13 seconds, with Yazeed Al Rajhi close behind, but Al Rajhi crashed out at km 81, ending his rally. Nasser Al-Attiyah abandoned strategy and took his chances by opening the stage, shedding 12 minutes and holding 10th place. Peterhansel faced mechanical problems at the 225km mark, while Sainz increased his lead over Ekström to almost 2:30. The top five remained unchanged as the crews headed to the bivouac. Tomorrow, they face dunes before being flown to Riyadh for a rest day on Saturday. Guy Botterill and Nani Roma made impressive climbs in the rankings.
