Loeb leads after stage 2 in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge continued with its second stage, a loop route in the Mezaira'a, Liwa region, covering 302 kilometers, of which 228 were timed. This stage was a key moment for Dacia, with a one-two finish led by Sébastien Loeb and Nasser Al Attiyah.

Loeb takes the overall lead

Lucas Moraes, who started the day as the leader after his eighth stage win in the W2RC, had the tough task of opening the route. Although he maintained a competitive pace, he lost the top spot to Loeb, who secured his 21st victory in the championship and the fourth for Dacia. Al Attiyah finished second, 1'37'' behind Loeb, surpassing Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Brazilian driver by 5'', allowing the team to secure its first 1-2 finish in this discipline. Moraes now holds second place overall, 41'' behind the new leader, while Al Attiyah is third, 2'52'' behind his teammate. Seth Quintero ended the day in fifth place, 4'54'' behind. It was a difficult stage for Mattias Ekstrom, who faced health issues, while the Ford M-Sport cars finished outside the Top 10.

Seaidan leads in Challenger

In the Challenger category, Yasir Seaidan managed to overturn the previous day’s result and took victory with a 4'38'' advantage over his teammate Dania Akeel. This win allowed him to claim the overall lead, with a 3'39'' margin over Akeel. Pau Navarro remains in third place, completing a podium fully dominated by BBR Motorsport with a gap of 11'27'' from the leader.

Gaspari takes the lead in SSV

Mansour Al Helei, who started the day as the leader in the SSV category, faced suspension issues that affected his pace. Enrico Gaspari took advantage of the situation and secured the stage win, followed by Michele Cinotto (Xtreme Plus Polaris) at 15'16''. Al Helei finished 16'24'' behind, dropping to second overall, now 6'30'' behind Gaspari. Meanwhile, Alexandre Pinto, the current championship leader, continues to struggle with power issues in his vehicle, a problem his team hopes to resolve before the next stage.

The marathon stage approaches

The competition enters a crucial point this Tuesday with the marathon stage, a new addition to the FIA caravan. It will cover 388 kilometers, with 237 timed, ending at the Marathon Camp. Without external assistance, participants will have to manage the reliability of their vehicles before tackling the next day’s section. The first motorcycle will start at 08:00 (GMT+4), and the first car at 10:20.