Al-Attiyah requires modifications to Dakar format after “boring” opening phases

Nasser Al-Attiyah believes the Dakar Rally should change its format after discovering Saturday’s opening stage “boring” because of the want of prioritising technique over outcomes.

The 2025 version started with a tricky and “pure” 431km take a look at round Bisha in Saudi Arabia, however a number of drivers elected to compromise their end result to safe a greater beginning place for the 48-hour marathon stage that covers Sunday and Monday.

5-time Dakar winner Al-Attiyah even stopped within the desert for nearly 10 minutes to permit different drivers to move him, dropping from tenth to twenty first place within the ultimate stretch of the day.

It means he is not going to open the gravel roads for his rivals on Sunday and can make the most of the tracks laid out by different drivers.

However, whereas this could theoretically put the brand new Dacia recruit in a robust place, the Qatari revealed he was not keen on the format and the impression it had on the competitors.

“We have now to vary the rule as a result of for those who push and win, you could have an opportunity to win, this can be a good thought,” mentioned Al-Attiyah. 

“I believe folks would perceive as a result of immediately will not be actually enjoyable, we simply drive straightforward, and it’s boring, there is no such thing as a competitors, I hope the rule can change”.

Dakar launched the so-called chrono stage for the primary time in 2024, changing the earlier marathon particular. Nevertheless, in 2025, its size has been elevated to nearly a 1,000km, whereas it has additionally been moved from the second week of the rally to the very starting of the occasion.

This meant that Prologue and Saturday’s opening take a look at successfully served as preparation for the revamped 48-hour stage.

Explaining his technique for the day in mild of the modifications, Al-Attiyah mentioned: “The stage was lengthy, lots of navigation, because of [co-driver] Edouard [Boulanger], as a result of he did good navigation. 

“Our navigation pill broke and we did about 300 kilometres with just one, we tried to handle and observe the opponents, however within the final 10 kilometres we stopped for 10 minutes, simply to have a break [laughs], in order to not repeat final yr’s expertise [where he suffered a big setback in Stage 1].”

A number of different drivers additionally slowed down within the run from the penultimate checkpoint, together with Ford driver Carlos Sainz Sr who completed seventh however categorised eighth after a 10s penalty for exceeding the pace restrict

#225 Ford M-Sport Ford: Carlos Sainz, Lucas Cruz

Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool

Al-Attiyah trails Sainz by round 10 minutes and sits an additional three minutes adrift of rally chief Seth Quintero (Toyota).

The five-time winner admitted that it’s going to not be till the second a part of the marathon stage that he closes the hole to the frontrunners within the Final class.

“Now we’re in twenty first place, and solely 10 minutes [actually 13] behind the primary place,” he mentioned.

“Tomorrow must be an enormous assault for the entire 48 hours to a minimum of have an excellent time for the fourth stage in Bisha. It will not be straightforward to catch as much as 21 vehicles, you may catch as much as 10 vehicles, however you continue to have 10 in entrance of you, as a result of we’re not going loopy.

“We have now to handle the primary part till we sleep, and on the second day we’ll see if we have now like 100, 150 or 200 kilometres, and we’ll determine to not pressure [it].

“Sure, we misplaced solely seven minutes [actually 10] to Carlos, however Carlos begins seventh and I begin additional again, we’re separated by greater than twenty minutes or so [on the road]. I am pleased with the place, and we have to make the automotive work very effectively, we have to handle tomorrow.”