Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah grabbed the lead from Frenchman Sebastian Loeb after winning the fourth stage in the OiLibya Rally of Morocco, the penultimate round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.
Al-Attiyah and his co-driver Mathieu Baumel clocked one hour 48 minutes and 38 seconds in their Toyota Hilux, ahead of Argentina Orlando Terranova and Spaniard Nani Roma.
Al-Attiyah won the stage despite suffering car problems minutes before the start. But his team succeeded in repairing it on time, allowing the Qatari to outshine Loeb, who too suffered mechanical problems.
Al-Attiyah said the final stage today would be decisive for him to win the title.
“We will need to maintain our intense focus and ensure that we implement our strategy perfectly,” said al-Attiyah.
“The final stage today will be decisive and we will have to be at our best in order to ensure success,” he added.