As well as fighting for the Dakar title, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Sébastien Loeb are locked in a vicious battle for the world championship. The Toyota driver's 44th stage win increased his tally to 17 points, not too far ahead of his BRX rival, who has scored 13 so far. The situation in the T3 category is a world apart. Seth Quintero is no longer in contention for the top step of the podium, but he remains hell-bent on catching and overtaking "Chaleco" in the W2RC. His third stage win was good enough for him to pull level with the Chilean with 15 points apiece. Pole Michał Goczał is also tied with Austin Jones after claiming the first stage to Riyadh. Finally, Martin Macík has seen his lead shrink, but the competition with his Big Shock Racing teammate, Kees Koolen, is a far friendlier affair.
