Dakar Rally 2023 – Sébastien Loeb & BRX Prodrive Hunter making tracks in the desert
For the Prodrive Hunters it is the fourth day on the bounce that all three cars have finished the stage inside the top 10 and the third stage win for the car on this immensely tough 2023 edition.
Driving the sister Prodrive cars, Guerlain Chicherit/Alex Winocq in their GCK entered version overcame the challenges of navigation to finish 6th into Riyadh with the Teltonika Racing entry of Vaidotas Zala/Paulo Fiuza in 10th.
Tomorrow is the rest day giving the opportunity for the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team to tend to any work required on the cars before the venture into a part of Saudi Arabia that the Dakar has not been to before, the Empty Quarter. 3,403 kilometres have been completed from the planned 4,695 of this Dakar. There is still a long, but more importantly, very challenging way to go.
Sebastien Loeb
“Today was a very good day to have the best time in the stage and first position for Bahrain Raid Xtreme again. We also have risen another place in the overall standings to fourth so it’s much better than it was a few days ago so it’s a good way to end the first week. The feeling with the car was so good; really nice to be like this in the car I have to say.”
Guerlain Chicherit
“We did well yesterday so we were really highly motivated this morning to win the stage. We just missed out unfortunately as we were almost too ‘early’ on the road as we were clearing stones and finding the way. Having said that 6th is a good position for the next stage after the rest day. Let’s see how we feel for the second week but I want to push really hard.”
Vaidotas Zala
“It was very stoney today so to get to the finish with only one puncture was a real positive but to take that puncture after just 15 kilometres into the stage, it brought back bad memories from stage two! From then on I thought let’s keep it cool today so we cruised through the stones; maybe a bit too conservative but we didn’t want to risk anything. Not a super day, but one we had to get through so the car and everything is good for the next stage.”
Gus Beteli, Team Principal
“Another day where the target was to climb up the order and to have a further stage win. Three out of eight for the Prodrive Hunter plus BRX is up to fourth place overall with Seb so the rest day is very well deserved tomorrow. Sure they’ll be a lot of work to do but the vibe is good here at the BRX camp after all three cars made the top 10 again today.”
Stage 8. Al Duwadimi to Riyadh. 346 kms
1st. S. Loeb / F. Lurquin – Prodrive Hunter
6th. G. Chicherit / A. Winocq – Prodrive Hunter
10th. V. Zala / P. Fiuza – Prodrive Hunter
