Dacia driver Nasser Al-Attiyah has questioned FIA’s choice to forestall Ford rival Carlos Sainz Sr from finishing the 2025 Dakar Rally on security grounds.
Sainz Sr and Al-Attiyah’s team-mate Sebastien Loeb have been pressured out of Dakar firstly of this week after struggling injury to their roll cages in separate accidents.
That eradicated two of the pre-rally favourites from the Final class, leaving five-time winner Al-Attiyah to cope with simply Ford’s Mattias Ekstrom and Toyota duo Henk Lategan and Yazeed Al-Rajhi for the general victory.
In its reasoning, the FIA acknowledged that it can’t assure the drivers could be secure contained in the cockpit in case of a repeat accident. It additionally defined why it could not permit producers to restore the chassis through the rally.
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Nevertheless, Al-Attiyah wasn’t happy with the FIA’s clarification, saying: “It is not killing the race, the issue is that the principles will not be clear. I need to race with all of the folks, additionally Carlos [Sainz], Seb [Loeb], Laia [Sanz]. Why is Carlos not right here? No cause.
“We are able to repair it, the group can repair it, why do you say, ‘OK, it is over’? We’re not in Formulation 1, we’re in cross-country. What number of vehicles now [left?]. If you happen to go and test fastidiously, do you discover any faults.”
The Qatari driver was additionally incensed by a 10-minute time penalty for shedding a spare wheel throughout Stage 5 on Thursday, robbing him of victory by only one second.
#225 Ford M-Sport Ford: Carlos Sainz Sr., Lucas Cruz
Photograph by: A.S.O.
Stating his intention to write down a letter to the president of FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem in regards to the sanction, he mentioned: “I do not perceive it. To lose the tyres with the help [structure] after which the spectator finds the tyre with the help and also you get ten minutes. I do not settle for it.
“However I am working to repair that complete drawback as a result of that is not sport, we’ve got to be truthful. If I do it the unsuitable manner and drop the tyres, OK, I get ten minutes penalty, however we did not realise, we’ve got to be truthful, however I’ll make an excellent letter to the [FIA] president, to keep away from all that.”
Al-Attiyah at the moment sits fourth within the general standings, half-hour down on Toyota rival Lategan, with six of the 12 levels nonetheless to run.
Regardless of having a sizeable deficit to beat, the 54-year-old mentioned he’s assured about his possibilities of recording one other win in Dakar and getting near Stephane Peterhansel’s report of eight wins within the vehicles class.
“I’ll win. I’ve little doubt,” he mentioned. Everybody desires to win, I’ve gained 5 instances already, however none of them have gained but. The subsequent six days can be tough for the three of us as a result of whenever you need to win, you begin to make a whole lot of errors.
“The hole is just not massive, it is seven minutes or ten minutes [between Lategan and Al-Rajhi]. It is not massive, and any mistake could make you lose.
“I am ready for the errors, and whereas I will make my technique for the following two days, after which the three days of dunes, if I am shut, I will go flat out.”
Photographs from Dakar Rally Stage 6
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