SHERIDAN, WYOMING – Feb. 28, 2025 – The Dacia Sandriders have achieved a significant milestone, securing their second victory in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. This triumph came after Nasser Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger delivered an exceptional performance in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, culminating in a thrilling final stage.
With a narrow 41-second lead at the start of the decisive 167 timed kilometers today (Thursday), Al-Attiyah and Boulanger needed to perform at their peak to maintain their position. Driving their sustainable-fuelled Dacia Sandrider, which performed flawlessly across the challenging sand and dunes between Mezeer’ah and the finish in Abu Dhabi city, Al-Attiyah/Boulanger achieved their second fastest stage time of the event, winning by 2 minutes and 28 seconds.1
This victory not only marks the second win for The Dacia Sandriders in the FIA World Rally Championship (W2RC) following their debut triumph at Rallye du Maroc last October, but also signifies Al-Attiyah’s fifth Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge first-place finish and Boulanger’s third.
The result propels Qatari Al-Attiyah to the top of the provisional W2RC Drivers’ ranking, with Frenchman Boulanger leading the Navigators’ points after two rounds.2 The Dacia Sandriders now hold second place in the Manufacturers’ standings.
Today’s stage victory was the third of the five-day Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge for The Dacia Sandriders, who also celebrated a fastest time from Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin on Stage 2.
However, despite leading overall and appearing set for a podium finish, Loeb, from France, and Belgian Lurquin were forced to retire due to damage sustained when they rolled 41 kilometers from the start of Stage 4 on Wednesday, Loeb’s 51st birthday.
Loeb/Lurquin had hoped to restart on the final day of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, but an inspection by the FIA technical team late last night determined the roll cage in their Dacia Sandrider was damaged, ruling them out on safety grounds.
After achieving the second fastest time on Stage 1 and the quickest time on Stage 2 to hold the provisional lead after two days, their early exit from Stage 4 was a disappointing outcome.
Key Quotes
“I’m really proud of what Nasser and Édouard have done because they had to push until the very end,” said Tiphanie Isnard, team principal of The Dacia Sandriders. “They did a strong race and never had a doubt about the team. We’ve had some tough days between Dakar and Abu Dhabi to be ready and be on battle again so it’s a big thanks to the team. We’re really happy with the result and we’re now leading the championship for the driver and navigator and provisionally we have taken second place in the Manufacturers’ championship so it’s definitely great.”
NASSER AL-ATTIYAH (QATAR), DRIVER, THE DACIA SANDRIDERS
“It’s a really good feeling and I’m very happy to win the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. It was a big push from us this week and thanks to The Dacia Sandriders. We were coming here to win the race and lead the championship to make it easier for the next race. We have a really good car and the team is very strong. We feel sorry for Seb for what happened yesterday, but this is the situation and I am really happy to win this race for The Dacia Sandriders and all partners and people who are supporting us. The speed was very high from every competitor, we respect everyone, but we did a very good job over the last few days.”
ÉDOUARD BOULANGER (FRANCE), NAVIGATOR, THE DACIA SANDRIDERS
“The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is always a special race for us. It was a tough battle until the last kilometres and we were not managing any lead. It was intense but we’re really happy to complete on a positive note for The Dacia Sandriders and for us. After the Dakar we needed this result to get back a bit of confidence. For sure the intensity of the battle with Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleón was really tough and it will be really tough for the next races so we cannot expect to dominate the season. Still, we are here and on top of the podium. It’s five victories for Nasser and three for me in Abu Dhabi so it’s really nice.”
The Dacia Sandriders: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Key Moments
- Stage 1 (Sunday February 23): Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin go second fastest. Nasser Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger build on their quickest Prologue Stage time but drop to fourth due to a wheel change.
- Stage 2 (Monday February 24): Loeb/Lurquin achieve the fastest time, leading the challenge. Al-Attiyah/Boulanger climb to third despite a cracked spring.
- Stage 3 (Tuesday February 25): Al-Attiyah/Boulanger lead after setting the fastest time. Loeb/Lurquin are hampered by opening the stage and a time penalty.
- Stage 4 (Wednesday February 26): Al-Attiyah/Boulanger secure a 41-second lead. Loeb/Lurquin retire due to a roll and subsequent roll cage damage.3
- Stage 5 (Thursday February 27): Al-Attiyah/Boulanger secure victory with their second fastest stage time.
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Stage 5 Results (Unofficial)
- Mezeer’ah-Abu Dhabi
- Stage distance: 167km / Liaison distance: 197km / Total distance: 364km
- 1st: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Édouard Boulanger (FRA), 2h04m25s4
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Provisional Overall Results After Stage 5 (Unofficial)
- 1st: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Édouard Boulanger (FRA), 14h26m55s5
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge: The Big Number
- 2: Victory for Nasser Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger was the second in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship for The Dacia Sandriders.6
What’s Next?
The FIA World Rally-Raid Championship continues with the South African Safari Rally from May 18-24.7
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