The 33rd edition of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge moved forward with its third stage, bringing a set of challenges and intense emotions for the participants. This stage, characterized by a mix of dangers and tactics, brought significant changes in the leadership positions.
In the car category, Nasser Al Attiyah of Prodrive faced setbacks that affected his position in the lead. Lucas Moraes of Toyota Gazoo Racing experienced a dramatic moment when his Hilux caught fire after crossing the finish line, unfortunately ending his participation in the event. This setback allowed Seth Quintero, also from Toyota Gazoo Racing, to achieve his first victory in the Ultimate category and climb to the top position in the overall standings.
In the Challenger division, Can-Am Factory drivers, Jones and Baciuska, continued to dominate, maintaining their position in the overall standings. In the SSV category, Yasir Seaidan of MMP won the stage, consolidating his lead in his category.
Stage 3 began with challenges due to a night storm that complicated the conditions of the event. Nasser Al Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger found themselves in a difficult situation at the beginning, losing valuable time. Juan Cruz Yacopini of Overdrive Racing took advantage of this opportunity to advance in the rankings, but a crash with Martín Prokop, followed by a collision with Denis Krotov, altered his chances of leading the stage and the overall standings.
The situation turned favorable for Seth Quintero and Lucas Moraes, who found themselves in an advantageous position. Quintero achieved the best time, securing his first victory in the Ultimate category. Despite the efforts of Nasser Al Attiyah, who made a remarkable comeback, he finished second in the overall standings.
The events of this stage transformed the dynamics of the event, opening the field to various possibilities for the following days. The participants are now preparing for the next stages: Stage 4 - Al Futtaim-Toyota and Stage 5 - Abu Dhabi Aviation, which promise to continue with the intensity and drama of this challenge.
| Pos. | Driver | Co-Driver | Team | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S. QUINTERO | D. ZENZ | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | N. AL-ATTIYAH | E. BOULANGER | NASSER RACING | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | L. MORAES | A. MONLEON | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Y. AL RAJHI | T. GOTTSCHALK | OVERDRIVE RACING | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | G. CHICHERIT | A. WINOCQ | OVERDRIVE RACING | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 6 | R. BACIUSKA | O. VIDAL MONTIJANO | CAN-AM FACTORY TEAM | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | J. YACOPINI | D. OLIVERAS CARRERAS | OVERDRIVE RACING | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | M. PROKOP | V. CHYTKA | ORLEN JIPOCAR TEAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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