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

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.

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