P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Thursday brought a new wrinkle to the Dakar Rally as the first of a two-day “48th Chrono” that throws some unprecedented challenges at the competitors. The first part of a two-day stage through Sau…
On Thursday, the Dakar Rally introduced a new challenge called the “48th Chrono,” a two-day stage with unprecedented obstacles for the competitors. Instead of the usual bivouac, the race was halted at 4pm, and the racers had to camp in the desert with minimal supplies and no connection to the media or knowledge of their rivals’ progress. Audi Sport had a strong performance in the first half of the stage, with Carlos Sainz Sr. leading his teammate Mattias Ekström by 4m30s. They regained the lead in the Ultimate car category. Yazeed Al-Rajhi of Overdrive Toyota crashed early in the stage and retired from the race. Adrien Van Beveren of France led the motorcycle category, followed by Ricky Brabec and Toby Price. The race now moves to the challenging Empty Quarter with difficult navigation and separate courses for cars and motorcycles.
