Loeb Eases Bahrain Raid Xtreme Into Heat of Battle as Saudi Driver Sets Pace in Mexico
The stage has been set for a fascinating battle in the searing desert heat of Mexico as Sébastien Loeb looks to tighten the grip held by Bahrain Raid Xtreme on the World Rally Raid Championship.
On Sunday’s 10km prologue which determined the Sonora Rally starting order, Loeb and Fabian Lurquin in the BRX Prodrive Hunter set the fourth fastest time alongside their three biggest rivals for victory in the third round of the championship.
Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi was quickest on the day by one second from Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah, who trails Loeb by 16 points in the WRRC title race, with Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winocq third in another Prodrive Hunter.
The day ended with the last four rally winners on the championship circuit being grouped together for the start of the rally’s first big stage later on Monday, a 170-kilometre loop into the desert south of Hermosillo.
Loeb, who won last season’s final round in Andalucia, opened the road on the prologue and will start first again ahead of Chicherit, who recorded a maiden rally victory for the Prodrive Hunter in Morocco last October.
