Dacia gives up on appeal: Loeb to return home after Dakar exit

Dacia has given up hope on nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb returning to the Dakar Rally following his pressured exit from the occasion.

The FIA had not authorised Loeb to begin the fourth take a look at of 2025 on Wednesday after the roll cage of his Dacia Sandrider was discovered to have been broken in a barrel roll in stage three on Tuesday.

Dacia had subsequently appealed in opposition to the choice in a single day so he may very well be again in motion later this week and probably rating factors for the World Rally-Raid Championship, the place the Renault Group’s model is combating in opposition to Toyota and Ford on its debut.

Nevertheless, following the tip of Stage 4, Dacia’s attraction got here to nothing, and Loeb is because of take a flight house from Jeddah afterward Wednesday.

“It is actually irritating to return to Jeddah as a substitute of being within the automobile combating on the market,” he mentioned in a press release. 

“Particularly while you see what occurred at present, there was nonetheless a lot to struggle for! With an hour and 1 / 4 behind the leaders, there was nonetheless nothing misplaced. I am positive we might have began a good distance again, however there have been alternatives to take, sadly, that is simply the best way it’s.”

Loeb suffered a comparatively mid-speed rollover in the beginning of Stage 3, which left him with a hobbled automobile for the rest of the day.

With some help from team-mate Cristina Gutierrez, the Frenchman was in a position to conduct mandatory repairs and attain the tip of the stage, though he had dropped outdoors the highest 15 positions within the general standings.

Like Dacia, Loeb did not agree with stewards’ choice to rule him out of the rest of the occasion on security grounds.

“As for our rollover, I actually don’t have any phrases,” he mentioned. “It wasn’t as a result of we had been pushing too onerous, we simply acquired caught by a nasty compression, it was so simple as that. We could not do a lot on the time, it occurs, but it surely’s no much less irritating.

“After which the stewards’ choice yesterday, actually, it is onerous to swallow. I discover it irritating and disappointing as a result of, in my view, it is not based mostly on strong arguments. Security is essential, I perceive that, however the line they’ve drawn right here doesn’t appear applicable for our self-discipline, the place we compete in excessive circumstances.

“Our staff supplied proof to show that the roll cage was nonetheless strong, and I’ve full confidence in them. Even visually, you may see that security was not compromised, so sure, it is onerous to just accept.”