Dacia has given up hope on nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb returning to the Dakar Rally following his forced exit from the event. The FIA had not authorised Loeb to start the fourth test of 2025 on Wednesday after the roll cage of his Dacia Sandrider was found to have been damaged in a barrel roll in stage three on Tuesday.

However, his team Dacia appealed against the decision overnight, meaning he could be back in action later in the week after skipping the test between Al Henakiyah and Al’Ula. It

The ebb and flow of momentum is a key part of what makes the Dakar Rally such a classic of endurance, and another example of this was provided by today’s fifth stage. Nasser Al Attiyah

American driver Seth Quintero won the fifth stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Thursday by one second after Qatar's Nasser Al Attiyah, who was first across the line, was penalised 10 minutes.