P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mattias Ekstrom clocked the fastest time in the prologue of the Dakar Rally. The Audi driver was about half a minute faster than Seth Quintero (Toyota) and Sebastien Loeb (Prodrive Hunter).
The 46th edition of the Dakar Rally began with a 27-kilometer prologue, giving participants a taste of sand and stones. The results will determine the starting positions for the first real stage, with the top ten order still likely to change. The fastest driver will have the privilege of choosing their start time on Saturday, but these times do not count towards the overall standings. Nasser Al-Attiyah, the defending champion, did not secure a stage win, as his teammate Sebastien Loeb finished with a faster time. There has been speculation about Audi’s participation, but they performed well in the prologue. Seth Quintero, a rookie Toyota driver, impressed with the second-fastest time. Tim and Tom Coronel also started their race, finishing further down the order.
