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Andalucia Rally: Sebastien Loeb throws down the gauntlet
Bengaluru, October 20: Rally legend Sebastien Loeb won the opening round for Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) in the battle to decide the inaugural FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) by setting the fastest time on the prologue stage in the Andalucia Rally.
The year 2022 marked an exciting new chapter for cross-country rallying, as the W2RC discipline became the seventh World Championship under the governance of the FIA.
Partnered by co-driver Fabian Lurquin in the BRX Prodrive Hunter, the nine-time World Rally Championship (WRC) winner was 5sec faster than championship leader Nasser Al Attiyah in a Toyota Hilux on the qualifying stage as the five-day event began in southern Spain.
Saudi Arabia's Yazeed Al Rajhi in another Toyota Hilux set the third quickest time on the stage, just ahead of Guerlain Chicherit, winner of the penultimate round in Morocco earlier this month alongside fellow-Frenchman Alex Winocq in their Prodrive Hunter.
A steering issue in Morocco cost Loeb his championship advantage, but the WRC legend plans a fight to the finish on Sunday (October 23) to try and rub out Al Attiyah's 22-point advantage.
Warning signal
He made the most of favourable terrain in Andalucia to send out a warning that BRX are far from out of the running for both the drivers' and manufacturers' titles.
The qualifying stage which launched the final battle to decide the 2022 W2RC championship was a 9.6kms test around the Grand Dos Hermanas Racecourse, where the Andalucia Rally is based for the week.
Prologue stage
The short prologue stage was important because the top ten drivers earned the right to pick their crucial starting position in tomorrow's first of four long selective sections.
After rounding off the recent Rallye Du Maroc with a superb stage victory, Loeb returned to action in southern Spain looking to challenge the championship lead held by Al Attiyah.
Prodrive challenge
The championship could ultimately be decided by stage wins in Andalucia, as they carry extra bonus points, in addition to the points secured by overall finishing positions on Sunday.
The Andalucia Rally serves as another reminder that the Prodrive Hunter driven by Loeb and Chicherit, has led to the development of an all-terrain hypercar version, which will be unveiled for prospective buyers in Dubai next month.
Seasoned campaigner
Loeb's input from the BRX rally programme has been a key factor in the design of the hypercar, which is being built in limited numbers to the individual specifications of select super car enthusiasts. Stage wins in Andalucia could ultimately prove decisive, as they carry extra bonus points.
Added to the uncertainty of rally raids, which run over difficult terrain and present stern navigational challenges, this means the title race may still produce a tense finish. The stages in Spain will the WRC legend as they are similar to those in last year's Baja Aragon where he led before a small technical problem denied him a certain victory.
Story first published: Thursday, October 20, 2022, 8:22 [IST]
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