Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah claimed his fourth successive stage win at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to finish with valuable World Rally-Raid Championship (WRRC) points.
The Qatari ace driver finished overall fifth with French co-driver Mathieu Baumel, with their hopes of defending the title crushed by heavy landing damaged a lower suspension arm and a front wheel on the Qatari’s Toyota Hilux on the opening stage.
Al-Attiyah and Baumel completed the 209km stretch from Qasr Al Sarab to Abu Dhabi with the fastest time of 2hrs 22min 16sec. France’s Stephane Peterhansel of Team Audi Sport won the event in an overall time of 17hrs 43min 7sec
Al-Attiyah, who arrived in the UAE with a one-point lead over WRC veteran Sebastien Loeb, had to play catch up over the next four days once time penalties were imposed. Al-Attiyah managed to earn 20 points for four stage wins and problems for Loeb meant that he only dropped two points to the Frenchman in the UAE and now trails by a single point.
“When I crossed the finish line of the last stage, I immediately remembered what happened on the first stage,” said al-Attiyah. “That’s a little bit of disappointment. But to come back strong and win the remaining four stages wasn’t easy and we did amazing job. Our car was working very well and this is testament for our teamwork.
“This was an amazing race and, as usual, we were really happy to compete and be part of the new World Rally-Raid Championship. We showed the speed and we have the confidence to push at the next race.”
Peterhansel underlined his place in the record books of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with an assured drive to victory today as Sam Sunderland saved his best until last to secure a third bikes title in the event.
Partnered by Edouard Boulanger in his Audi RS Q e-tron, Frenchman Peterhansel secured his record-breaking seventh cars title with a winning margin of 29 mins 49 secs from the 2018 winner, Czech Martin Prokop, accompanied by Viktor Chytka in a Ford Raptor.
Peterhansel has now surpassed the six cars victories of Jean-Louis Schlesser, and as a result of his bikes win back in 1996, has an overall Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge record equalling the eight triumphs of Spanish rider Marc Coma.
“This is a really special win, a victory with a really good car,” he said. “As the driver I made a few mistakes on some dunes, but that is rallying. I’m delighted to be the first car winner with this new generation of cars.”
Sunderland, who started the last day with a fragile 23-seconds advantage on his GasGas, showed how the best riders handle pressure. He pulled away to win by 3 mins 8secs from American Ricky Brabec, whose Honda team-mate, Chilean Pablo Quintanilla, was another 48 secs away in third place. Giving the host country a title win to celebrate for a second Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in four months, Emirati rider Abdulaziz Ahli on a Yamaha Raptor retained his quads crown with a massive 2 hrs 5 mins to spare over Slovakia’s Juraj Varga. Chile’s Francisco Lopez Contardo in a Can-AM Maverick landed the third overall podium spot.