40th edition - N°18 - Loeb beached at Belen - Dakar 2018

The phenomenon was expected and he made quite an impression. In his first Dakar participation, Sébastien Loeb dominated the rally in the opening week. On a terrain that ideally corresponded to his driving style, the nine-time world rally champion won three stages and led in the general classification on the rest day. But sometimes the rally-raid learning process can be cruel. When the action resumed, Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena went out of control 20 kilometres from the finish line. Their rolling over ended Loeb’s hopes for victory. The following day, the difficulties continued as he got stuck in the sand several times. The crew eventually made it to the finish in Buenos Aires with a 9th place in the general classification.