The remake of W2RC season 1 between Loeb and Al Attiyah is taking place near Haradh! The Frenchman returned to 2nd in the general classification today and not without panache, as he picked up a 3rd stage victory. His Qatari rival has admittedly won just as many, but the Toyota driver only took 4th place today among the drivers enrolled in the world championship. At the end of the first leg, every point gained on the specials by finishing in the top five of the day could allow the runner-up to stay in contact with the Toyota Gazoo Racing driver if the latter stays on the top step until Dammam. This same strategy allowed Loeb to leave the Dakar in 2022 in 2nd position only one point behind the Qatari. The script is familiar, but the scenery will change tomorrow, as Al Attiyah is repeating to anyone willing to listen that he will be at home in the Empty Quarter.
