Penalized, Sébastien Loeb rants

The Sébastien duo Loeb and Daniel Elena could have a big smile at the finish of the fourth stage of the Dakar, between Wadi Ad-Dawasir and Riyadh. They had achieved the fourth time of the day and were in the top 5 in the general classification, despite starting from rally complicated. But their faces quickly darkened.

The BRX crew received a five-minute penalty for excessive speed during a controlled zone. A totally unjustified sanction according to Loeb, who expressed his anger on social networks. “This evening, I need to share with you the incompetence of the panel of commissioners for an event as legendary as the Dakar” began the BRX driver.

“During all my participations, during all the stages and during all the speed control zones, I have always done my best to respect this rule. On the sole condition that the GPS system, via an alarm, tells us when we enter these “invisible” zones. Today, in this area where we are charged, the alarm did not sound upon entering said area. And so I couldn't slow down in time. »

The Alsatian believes that the commissioners remained narrow-minded without reason. “Despite our explanations but especially despite the confessions of the GPS system provider of a problem with its equipment in our car today (something which can happen of course), the jury of commissioners did not want to know anything and decided, cowardly sitting behind his desk with the only risk of spilling his coffee while we risk our lives every day in the car, of inflicting on ourselves a penalty far greater than what this GPS “bug” has saved us… Approximately 2 to 3 seconds being generous. »

Sébastien Loeb does not budge. “I am passionate but above all I am a competitor. And today, if I am in a race like the Dakar, it is first and foremost to achieve what I am employed for: to achieve a result that matches the ambitions of the team and matches my ambitions. And for that, there is no room for incompetence, nor incompetents,” concludes the nine-time world rally champion.

Loeb and Elena move from fourth to seventh place in the general classification because of this penalty.