Mathieu Baumel and Nasser Al-Attiyah separate, the transfer window for the 2025 Dakar opens

The rumor, first started by the Saudi journalist Ibrahim Al-Zubaidi, close to Nasser Al-Attiyah's clan, seemed too incongruous to be true. The Qatari driver with five victories on the Dakar would have separated from his French navigator, Mathieu Baumel (4 victories on the Dakar). Impossible, as the tandem has worked well since their union in 2014, whether in rally or in rally-raid.

However, we had to face the facts. The bell sounds coming from several sides gave the same tone, so much so that the divorce was consummated. Neither Nasser Al-Attiyah nor Mathieu Baumel have made their breakup official. The French co-pilot did not respond to our requests.

Together, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel have become the benchmarks in rally raid: two world champion titles in 2022 and 2023, four Dakar wins (2015, 2019, 2022 and 2023), but also a WRC2 title in 2015 , and a mountain of Middle East Rally Championship events and several coronations in this discipline.

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We do not yet know the reasons for such an abrupt and unexpected separation. Nasser Al-Attiyah was quick to find a replacement, in the person of Italian Giovanni Bernacchini, for the launch of the Middle East Rally Championship this week in Qatar. It was already his co-pilot in WRC 2010 early years.

صور وفيديوهات من تجارب القطري ناصر العطية على سيارة فول 199 #رالي_قطر 2024 برفقه ملاح ه الجديد لهذه البطولة فقط الايطالي جيوفاني بيرناكيني #QatarRally #FIAMERC #MERC 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/CBnJjiS7HD

— Ibrahim Al-Zubaidi 🇸🇦 (@IbrahimAlZubadi) January 30, 2024

Giovanni Bernacchini will be present alongside Nasser Al-Attiyah only in the rally events. A navigator is therefore missing for the Qatari in rally raid. In this regard, the rumor machine is running at full speed.

Baker with Al-Attiyah? No

The name of Édouard Boulanger is most often cited. The Frenchman, winner of the 2021 Dakar to the right of Stéphane Peterhansel, would therefore take the opportunity to leave “Monsieur Dakar”, whose further career path is not yet known. “Peter” wanted in an ideal world to hang up his helmet on the evening of the 2024 Dakar, on a podium, but his poor 55th final place (due to mechanical problems) hardly satisfied him.

Asked by AUTOhebdo, Édouard Boulanger completely refuted this rumor. “I was not contacted by Nasser or his entourage. My priority remains Stéphane (peterhansel). For the moment, he has not made any decision on the rest of his career. We're not at the stage where I'm thinking about my future. »

Baumel with Loeb? Neither

It is certain that Nasser Al-Attiyah will work with a navigator other than Mathieu Baumel in rally-raid from now on. During the press conference aimed at introducing the new Dacia Sandrider and the crews of the Romanian manufacturer with a view to the 2025 Dakar, Nasser Al-Attiyah recorded a video message… but not his co-pilot. Mathieu Baumel's video remained in the boxes.

Mathieu Baumel should have no trouble finding a first-rate pilot to guide him through the deserts. The prospect of seeing him associated with Sébastien Loeb has made its way into the minds of Alsatian aficionados. It's forgetting the excellent work provided by the Belgian Fabian Lurquin alongside Loeb! Humanly, the relationship is in good shape between the two men.

On the work front, everything is going well there too. Co-driver of Loeb since the end of 2021, Lurquin has finally managed to establish a fluid, almost instinctive working relationship with the nine-time world rally champion. They share a common language in the cabin (derived from their common passion for aeronautics) and have put in place procedures to avoid panic in the event of a navigation error or interpretation of the road book. For Loeb, changing co-drivers when the union has never been so obvious would be a daring gamble to say the least.

Fabian Lurquin's supporters can rest assured, his place is assured in Sébastien Loeb's Dacia. This Tuesday morning, the Frenchman personally reassured him about their future as a pair. It is even rumored that Sébastien Loeb would have ensured that Lurquin benefited from a contract with Dacia, thus guaranteeing him his seat for the 2025 Dakar at his side. A classy gesture, in a sport where custom dictates that it is the driver who decides the identity of the navigator.