Seth Quintero has emerged as the frontrunner in the World Rally-Raid Championship, leading the standings as the Desert Challenge in Abu Dhabi approaches, although the event's confirmation remains uncertain due to the ongoing conflict in the region. Quintero secured an impressive overall victory, finishing the race with a lead of 4 minutes and 23 seconds over João Ferreira and 4 minutes and 42 seconds ahead of Henk Lategan. Nani Roma finished fourth, trailing by seven minutes, while Carlos Sainz came in sixth. Cristina Gutiérrez marked her presence in the top ten, finishing ninth overall and half an hour behind the winner, marking a significant achievement for the Santana team in this specialty.
The race concluded with yet another dramatic twist: Loeb's Dacia came to a halt just meters from the finish line while it was poised to claim the stage victory, which ultimately went to Eric Gozcal. This unexpected turn of events added to the excitement of the final stage, where significant retirements were reported, including that of Dania Akeel, who suffered a transmission failure, and Sara Price, who also could not complete the stage. Additionally, Guillaume de Mevius faced challenges with a broken driveshaft.
Quintero's victory, coupled with the reliability issues faced by the Dacia vehicles, has propelled him to the top of the championship standings. He now holds a 15-point lead over rival Sébastien Loeb and Nasser Al-Attiyah, who are currently tied in second place. The competitive nature of the rally has showcased the resilience and skill of the participants, especially during this challenging final stage, where both Loeb and Gozcal were neck and neck, arriving at kilometer 259 with only nine to go.
In the SSV category, a surprising turn occurred as González Ferioli experienced a 30-minute stop, allowing Matthias Walkner to capitalize on the situation and achieve his first victory in four-wheel racing. Alexander Pinto dominated the Challenger category, finishing with a one-hour advantage over Rui Carneiro and Manolo Andújar. Meanwhile, Isidre Esteve finished in twenty-first place, just shy of the top twenty, which was his target for this event.
As reported by soymotor.com.
