P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Sainz ‘can’t let his guard down’ as Loeb chases him for Dakar win
Carlos Sainz currently holds a lead of over 20 minutes over Sebastien Loeb in the Dakar Rally, making him the favorite for overall victory. However, Loeb has been faster in terms of pace in the second half of the rally, winning three of the last four stages. Sainz’s strategy won’t change because of this, as they will continue to push hard and not let their guard down. They will try to go as fast as possible in the upcoming stages. Loeb acknowledges that catching up to Sainz on pace alone will be difficult and will require some misfortune on Sainz’s part. The result is now in Sainz’s hands, and he is expected to win the rally according to Prodrive director David Richards. Sainz’s performance at the age of 61 in the Audi RS Q e-tron has been impressive.
