French driver Sebastien Loeb, multiple world rally champion, has been forced to withdraw from the 2025 Dakar Rally after an incident during the third stage of the event. Driving his Dacia Sandrider, he suffered a rollover just 12 kilometers into the section between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, causing significant damage to the vehicle's safety structure.
Despite performing provisional repairs and completing the stage with a time loss of nearly one hour, a subsequent technical inspection by FIA stewards determined that the damage to the roll cage was too severe to ensure its integrity in the event of another crash. This decision ends the Frenchman's aspirations in this edition of the rally.
Analysis of the incident and its implications
The accident occurred during a demanding initial section, where Loeb's Dacia Sandrider lost stability and rolled several meters before hitting the sand. The damage included deformations in the roll bar, a critical component for cockpit safety. Although the team managed to keep the vehicle in the race, FIA regulations impose strict limits to prevent unnecessary risks.
This incident also highlights a pattern that has impacted other prominent competitors in the rally. Carlos Sainz Sr., the defending champion, also had to retire after sustaining similar damage to his Ford Raptor during the second stage. Likewise, Laia Sanz, renowned for her streak of consecutive participations since 2011, withdrew due to structural issues in her Century CR6-T following a minor collision.
Dacia and the team's challenges
Loeb's withdrawal leaves Nasser Al-Attiyah as the sole competitive hope for Dacia in this edition. The five-time Dakar winner faces a 7-minute and 17-second deficit to the provisional leader, Henk Lategan of Toyota. Meanwhile, Cristina Gutiérrez, also representing Dacia, suffered a steering failure during the second stage, ruling her out of contention for the overall classification despite rejoining under restart rules.
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