Audi driver Carlos Sainz won the first stage of the 2023 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. It was the 42nd victory of the day for “El Matador”. Sebastien Loeb (BRX) prevented a one-two for Audi, as the Frenchman moved up to third place ahead of Mattias Ekström.
The first stage led on New Year’s Day from the “Sea Camp” in a southerly direction inland past the coastal town of Yanbu. The evaluated section was 367 kilometers. The track was characterized by sand, but also by hard, stony sections.
After the scored special, the connecting route led around 200 kilometers north along the coast of the Red Sea so that the participants could return to the bivouac. The top drivers had decided to start from the back in the top 10.
Henk Lategan (Toyota) opened the day ahead of Orlando Terranova (BRX). Sainz was the first co-favorite on the track in fifth place. Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota) started seventh, directly ahead of the Audi duo of Stephane Peterhansel and Ekstrom. Loeb followed in tenth.
The familiar picture quickly emerged. The further back you started, the greater the advantage, since the driver and passengers could orientate themselves on the tracks. Ekström in particular accelerated at first. The Swede led the intermediate standings after 88 and 133 kilometers.
But the Swede was being pursued by Loeb. Before the last 90 kilometers, the Frenchman was only a minute behind in the virtual classification. Sainz and Al-Attiyah were also still in the game for the day’s win, around two minutes behind.
Of the top favourites, Peterhansel had lost the most ground. After 277 kilometers he had already lost around nine minutes. It remained exciting at the front until the finish and Sainz showed a strong final phase.
Al-Attiyah and Peterhansel waste time
After almost three hours and 20 minutes driving time, Sainz secured the day’s victory. In the bivouac, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz jun. fingers crossed for his father. With a deficit of only 23 seconds, Loeb had to admit defeat in second place by a hair’s breadth.
Ekstrom eventually dropped to third but lost less than a minute to Sainz. Al-Attiyah lost seven minutes and was classified ninth. Peterhansel followed in eleventh place, almost nine minutes behind. Both have a theoretically advantageous starting position for Monday.
A few supposed outsiders were also among the top field on New Year’s Day. Guerlain Chicherit was fourth in a GCK Team Prodrive Hunter and Brian Baragwanath was seventh, showing the potential of the rear-wheel drive Century buggy, which has a new engine.
Dirk von Zitzewitz still in the top field
And local hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi and his German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz also had a strong day in fifth place. That made them the best Toyota team. In the overall standings including the prologue, the duo are only two minutes behind leader Sainz.
“We entered the stage as the fourth car and came out as the second,” says von Zitzewitz. “The teams with late starting positions definitely had an advantage because the track cleared up a bit. We got through it without any problems. High speed without too much risk.”
Tomorrow we continue inland to Al’Ula. The second stage is 590 kilometers, with the timed section covering 431 kilometers. It goes through canyons, but the first dunes will decide this day.
Result of the 1st stage (Top 10):
01 Sainz/Cruz (Audi) – 3:20:41 hours 02 Loeb/Lurquin (Prodrive Hunter) +0:23 minutes 03 Ekstrom/Bergqvist (Audi) +0:47 04 Chicherit/Winocq (Prodrive Hunter) +1:04 05. Al-Rajhi/von Zitzewitz (Toyota) +1:59 06. Zala/Fiuza (Toyota) +5:28 07. Baragwanath/Cremer (Century) +6:33 08. Terranova/Harco Bravo ( Prodrive Hunter) +6:59 09. Al-Attiyah/Baumel (Toyota) +7:09 10. Przygonski/Monleon (Mini JCW Plus) +8:52
Overall ranking after the 1st of 14 stages (Top 10):
01 Sainz/Cruz (Audi) – 3:28:55 hours 02 Loeb/Lurquin (Prodrive Hunter) +0:10 minutes 03 Ekstrom/Bergqvist (Audi) +0:33 04 Chicherit/Winocq (Prodrive Hunter) +1:03 05. Al-Rajhi/von Zitzewitz (Toyota) +2:01 06. Baragwanath/Cremer (Century) +6:51 07. Terranova/Harco Bravo (Prodrive Hunter) +7:05 08. Al-Attiyah /Baumel (Toyota) +7:07 09. Peterhansel/Boulanger (Audi) +8:51 10. Przygonski/Monleon (Mini JCW Plus) +8:54