TOYOTA GAZOO Racings’ Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel recorded their second stage victory of the 2022 Dakar Rally, when they triumphed in Stage 4, between Al Qaisumah and Riyadh. The Toyota Hilux crew had a clean run, and managed to extend their overall lead in the rally to 38min 05sec. This after teammates Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings set the pace during the first half of the stage, only to see what seemed like a certain win slip away from them.

The South African pairing started the stage on a charge, trading blows with veteran Carlos Sainz at the head of the field. Their pace was electric, and mid-way through the longest stage of this year’s event, a stage win looked assured. But their charge came to a halt when the right-rear wheel hub broke off the Hilux, leaving them stranded in the desert until the assistance truck caught up with them.

This dealt a second, crippling blow to their Dakar 2022 campaign, following the three hours that they lost during Stage 1B of the event. The pair eventually made their way to the bivouac at Riyadh, where the technical crew repaired their GR DKR Hilux T1+, in preparation for Stage 5 of the event.

Stage 4 brought a good result for Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy, in the #207 Toyota Hilux. They started the day in fourth place in the overall standings, and maintained a steady pace throughout the day. They caught up with a slower car mid-stage, but hit a rock in thick dust when attempting to pass. This caused a puncture, which they were forced to change, before setting off again.

At this point, teammates Nasser and Mathieu caught up with them, and Giniel elected to let the rally leaders pass, following them to the end of the stage without further incident. Giniel and Dennis remain in 4^th place overall, but are now just 2sec behind the crew ahead of them – fellow-Toyota Hilux driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Michael Orr.

For Shameer Variawa and Danie Stassen, Stage 4 started very well. The pair passed four slower cars, and were setting a competitive pace. A puncture broke their rhythm, however, and the pair struggled with a variety of small niggles that cost them time. This included window wipers that didn’t work, and also getting stuck in a muddy section. Despite this, they recorded the 25^th-fastest time of the day, and are now in 23^rd position in the overall standings.

With the bivouac now set up near the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, the Dakar has reached the final stages before the Rest Day. Stages 5 and 6 will both be looped stages, starting and ending near Riyadh. First up is Stage 5, which features a timed section of 395km over hard-packed soil, sand and dunes. A liaison of 110km will link the start of the stage with the bivouac, and the crews will cover the same distance when they return after completing the stage.

Dakar 2022 will reach its mid-point on January 8^th, with the traditional Rest Day taking place in Riyadh. Six more stages will follow after that, with the rally drawing to a close in the city of Jeddah on January 14^th.