Qatar's rally driver Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah is still atop the cars T1 category standings despite finishing fifth in stage 11 of the ongoing Dakar Rally 2023, in Saudi Arabia, on Thursday.
Toyota’s Al Attiyah was 6:42 minutes behind winner Sebastien Loeb in stage 11 marathon in the Empty Quarter.
Sitting on a cushion of one hour and 21 minutes ahead of Overdrive Racing's Brazilian Lucas Moraes, the four-time Dakar Rally champion is a stone's throw from a fifth title.
The 426 km stage 11 of the rally stretches from Shaybah to the Empty Quarter with 273 special stages. Another 373 km marathon will kick off Friday from the Empty Quarter to Shaybah with 185 special stages.
The 45th edition of the Dakar Rally kicked off Dec. 31 and runs through Jan. 15 in Saudi Arabia, for the fourth year in a row, with the participation of 820 drivers and navigators, representing 68 different countries.
