Dakar 2023

[focus206]

Well you could argue that Nasser would be faster when trying in a fight for the lead, as much as I’m a huge fan it has been pretty much an open goal for Loeb to shoot for. Just such a shame the car let him down early on.

For sure Nasser is not pushing and if he was fighting for the lead he could have broke this streak. But Dakar has many many competitors, there are fast ones still driving (Lategan, De Villiers, Chicherit, Al Rajhi, Ekstrom etc.), so to finish in front of all of them 6 times straight, which means no serious driving or navigation mistakes while being very fast, is the most impressive thing.

[J4MIE]

Nasser has done it and won his 5th Dakar!
1h 18m the final margin.

[focus206]

Congrats to Nasser, second Dakar in a row in which he doesn't put a wheel wrong. Very deserving podium with Nasser, Loeb who did an amazing recovery after the technical troubles, and rookie Moraes who also didn't make a single big mistake. Shame we didn't get much of a fight for the victory nor the podium.

Top 10:
1 Nasser Al Attiyah (Toyota Hilux - Toyota Gazoo Racing)
2 Sebastien Loeb (Prodrive Hunter - Bahrain Raid Xtreme) +1h 20'
3 Lucas Moraes (Toyota Hilux - Toyota Overdrive Racing) +1h 38'
4 Giniel De Villiers (Toyota Hilux - Toyota Gazoo Racing) +2h 31'
5 Henk Lategan (Toyota Hilux - Toyota Gazoo Racing) +2h 36'
6 Martin Prokop (Ford Raptor - MP-Sports) +3h 40'
7 Juan Cruz Yacopini (Toyota Hilux - Toyota Overdrive Racing) +4h 27'
8 Wei Han (Buggy SMG Geely - Hanwei Motorsport Team) +4h 29'
9 Sebastian Halpern (Mini John Cooper Works Plus - X-Raid Mini) +4h 42'
10 Guerlain Chicherit (Prodrive Hunter - GCK Motorsport) +5h 22'

As far as I understand, Loeb is in the lead of the Rally Raid championship over Nasser because of the stage wins.

[J4MIE]

Man I’d really like to go over and watch through the dunes next year, not sure how easy it is to make a trip and get into the dunes cheaply though.

[NaBUru38]

2023 Dakar Rally - Final classification

Bikes

1. ARG Kevin Benavides (KTM), + 44:27'
2. AUS Toby Price (KTM), + 0'43"
3. USA Skyler Howes (Husqvarna), 5'
4. CHI Pablo Quintanilla (Honda), + 19'
5. FRA Andrien Van Beveren (Honda), + 20'
6. ARG Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna), + 22'
7. AUS Daniel Sanders (Gas Gas), + 14'
8. CHI Josè Ignacio Cornejo (Honda), + 51'
9. ESP Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco), + 1:17'
10. ARG Franco Caimi (Hero), + 1:38'

T3 Light Prototypes

1. USA Austin Jones (Can-Am), + 51:55'
2. USA Seth Quintero (Can-Am), + 52'
3. BEL Guillaume de Mévius (OT3), + 1:35'
4. ESP Cristina Gutiérrez (Can-Am), + 2:56'
5. CHI Francisco López (Can-Am), + 2:59'

T4 SSV

1. POL Eryk Goczal (Can-Am), + 52:10'
2. LTU Rokas Baciuška (Can-Am), + 16'
3. POL Marek Goczal (Can-Am), + 18'
4. ARG Jeremias Gonzlez Ferioli (Can-Am), + 1:07'
5. ESP Gerard Farrés (Can-Am), + 1:49'

T5 Trucks

1. NED Janus Van Kasteren (Iveco), 54:03'
2. CZE Martin Macik (Iveco), + 1:14'
3. NED Martin Van Der Brink (Iveco), + 2:40'
4. NED Mitchel Van Der Brink (Iveco), + 4:02'
4. CZE Jaroslav Valtr (Tatra), + 5:06'

Quads

1. FRA Alexandre Giroud (Yamaha), 56:44'
2. ARG Francisco Moreno (Yamaha), + 43'
3. USA Pablo Copetti (Yamaha), + 1:52'
4. SVK Juraj Varga (Yamaha), + 2:51'
5. CHI Giovanni Enrico (Yamaha), + 4:57'

Classics

1. ESP Juan Morera (Toyota), 428 pts
2. ESP Carlos Santaolalla (Toyota), 529 pts
3. ITA Paolo Bedeschi (Toyota), 631 pts
4. ITA Riccardo Garosci (Nissan), 813 pts
5. FRA Serge Mogno (Toyota), 889 pts