At 50, Sébastien Loeb is preparing to participate in his 9th Dakar, which begins on Friday January 3, in Saudi Arabia. The Frenchman, nine-time WRC world champion, is chasing a crown which does not seem to want to be offered to him. After finishing 3rd in the last edition, with a fifth final podium, the Alsatian does not despair. “I know I have the performance level to do it, he assured the media L’Arguson October 18, on the occasion of the Paris Motor Show. I'm starting to have some experience with Fabian [Lurquin, son copilote] Also. You just have to be able to put everything together to win.”
The Alsatian arrives in Saudi Arabia with a new team, Dacia, and confidence, gained on the Morocco rally, finishing in 2nd place behind his teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah. “The car looks well made”he is satisfied, not however hiding some difficulties during the first test sessions. Among the challenges that the driver faces in view of a potential coronation: testing the solidity of the running gear and finding the right temperature management.
“This year he has the car. Dacia has made big progressobserves Luc Alphand, winner of the car category race in 2006. He's had the car before, but he lacked a bit of wisdom and experience. This year, he has to be able to reason with himself at certain times. He was sometimes 'pedal to the bottom', too fast in conditions which deserved a little more assurance. He paid dearly for it on several occasions. You need to talk to him gently in your car.”
Over his first eight participations, Sébastien Loeb experienced punctures, accidents, mechanical breakdowns but also navigation errors, to the point of abandoning in 2018 and 2021. At the same time, he proved that he had victory in his hands. For example, he was provisional leader of the Dakar from his first participation and failed just five minutes from the coronation the following year, in 2017 (2nd behind Stéphane Peterhansel). In 2023, he set the record for consecutive stage victories (six).
“It's a line that's missing from his list of achievements but it's not easy to add. It's super hard to win a Dakar. Of course he would deserve to win it 100 times over, but you shouldn't live off bullshit about the 13 steps. That’s what’s complicated.”
Luc Alphand, winner of the Dakar in 2006at franceinfo: sport
“I have no other big plans, apart from winning the Dakar, he proclaimed in an interview for The Team a year ago, far from being discouraged. There are plenty of parameters to put together to win. You can be the fastest and not necessarily the first to finish because navigation, reliability and many things come into play. A perfect Dakar, without ever getting lost and never puncturing, that doesn't exist.”
When it's time to start, Sébastien Loeb wants to calm down : “I think that an intelligent race avoiding excesses and bullshit would surely pay offhe told AFP before the start of this edition. It's Carlos [Sainz] who showed us the lesson. He didn't win a stage last year and he's winning the rally.”
On his road to this long-awaited title, the nine-time world rally champion will face several ambitious opponents, starting with his teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah, five-time Dakar winner. Despite the absence of Stéphane Peterhansel, a first in 36 years, “lThe race is getting tighter and tighter”, according to Luc Alphand. “Sébastien Loeb is in the five names who can win. The Fords seem to be doing well with Carlos Sainz, Mattias Ekström and Nani Roma. There are the young people at Toyota with the Brazilian Lucas Moraes and Guillaume de Mévius who looks very good after finishing 2nd last year”. Who will succeed Carlos Sainz? Response January 17.
