P1racenews AI automatic summary:
A miserable spell for Yazeed Al-Rajhi has concluded with a hammer blow in his Dakar Rally defence.
Defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi has been forced to retire from this year’s Dakar Rally, ending a challenging nine months for the Saudi Arabian driver and co-driver Timo Gottschalk. During the marathon fourth stage to and from AlUla, Al-Rajhi encountered mechanical issues at kilometre 234, preventing him from continuing the race. Since outside mechanical assistance is prohibited on this stage, he and Gottschalk were left stranded with no way to repair their vehicle. Although they have the option to carry on after the stage’s conclusion, they will no longer feature in the overall standings. This setback compounds a tough period for the duo, as they had limited race preparation due to a serious crash they experienced in last April’s Baja Jordan, where Al-Rajhi suffered two fractured vertebrae and Gottschalk four.
