Al-Attiyah sets early pace as championship leader Loeb makes steady start at Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

27.02.2023 - 10:29 arabnews.com

ABU DHABI: World Rally-Raid Championship leader Sebastien Loeb gave Bahrain Raid Xtreme a comfortable start to the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge on Sunday as the second round of the series got underway in the UAE.

Partnered by Fabian Lurquin in his BRX Prodrive Hunter, Loeb set the third fastest time on the 6.76 km Prologue at Al-Dhannah, which was won by his big W2RC title rival, Nasser Al-Attiyah.

Driving another Prodrive Hunter, 2009 Desert Challenge winner Guerlain Chicherit recorded the second quickest time in partnership with Alex Winocq, just four seconds adrift of the Qatari’s Toyota.

Marking his 49th birthday, Loeb was only six seconds further away, and knows the battle starts in earnest tomorrow when the rally begins a five-day passage taking in the towering dunes of the Rub Al Khali.

Ligue 1 as Lionel Messi Novak Djokovic Kylian Mbappe Sebastien Loeb Nasser Al-Attiyah Yazeed Al-Rajhi Argentina Abu Dhabi Georgia Czech Republic Uae Dubai Saudi Arabia Bahrain Dakar Iceland

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