Loeb: '21 Dakar a "race of co-drivers" due to navigational challenges
Sebastien Loeb believes the navigational challenges posed to the crews in the 2021 Dakar Rally has taken the emphasis away from the drivers and made it a "race of co-drivers"


The opening week of this year's Dakar has proved to be challenging from a navigational point of view, with even some of the most experienced drivers in the field running off course after losing their way in Saudi Arabia's deserts.
Three-time champion and X-raid Mini driver Carlos Sainz was particularly vocal after his latest navigational drama in Stage 5, saying the event "feels more like a gymkhana than a rally" and he's never seen so many drivers getting lost in the event before.
Loeb, who is out of contention for top honours after a week fraught with navigational errors, punctures and a broken suspension arm, believes he "cannot make the difference" in this year's Dakar and co-drivers have a bigger say in determining the outcome of the rally.
"We need to find the right direction," said the Bahrain Raid Xtreme driver, who is again competing with long-time navigator Daniel Elena.
"It's quite tricky because the tracks are not really visible. We follow the tracks and we arrive to the point where the tracks disappear and there are plenty of lines going everywhere and we don't know what to do.
"So we are turning from point to point in many rocky areas and it is no fun to drive. The times we were lost we were on a track, so it is quite difficult to understand what to do.
"I don't want to criticise the roadbook. This is more a question for the co-driver, but honestly it may be the different terrain, but compared to the race in South America, the navigation is much more aggressive this year.
"The truth is that as a driver I cannot make the difference. I do what I'm told to do. It's the race of co-drivers, not the race of drivers".

Following a limited trial in the inaugural Saudi-based Dakar last year, roadbooks are now handed to drivers just 15 minutes before the start of each stage as opposed to the previous day.
This leaves crews with no time to add their own notes and additional information, but organiser ASO has tried to compensate for this by making roadbooks more detailed.
Asked for his thoughts on the new roadbook philosophy introduced for 2021, Nasser Al-Attiyah's co-driver Mathieu Baumel said: "Being a new system, those who adapt quicker will have an advantage.
"In fact the roadbooks are well done, it's more a question of interpretation of the notes and transfer them to the driver.
"In addition, you need to familiarise with the new way of working with the iPad [which replaces traditional paper notes] until it becomes automatic.
"What does it change compared to last year? On the same box you can have two or three changes of CAP.
"There is a lot of information on the same box, even very small, and sometimes it is not clear which piste you need to take to validate a hidden way.
"The truth is that this first week the navigation was very aggressive and a small mistake can cost a lot of time.
"When the note is not clear we have to slow down. In these cases, I raise my left hand.
"As Nasser sees my hand he slows down, and then I give him the sign when he can push again. I think it's better to slow down five seconds than to lose ourselves."

Sainz completes Dakar Stage 6 win, Al-Attiyah closes gap to Peterhansel
Dakar Rally organisers 'not made roadbook difficult on purpose'

Latest news
Dakar Rally announces longer 14-stage route for 2023
The ASO has revealed the first details of the 2023 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, increasing the length of the route to 14 stages in response to calls from competitors.
M-Sport set sights on Dakar in new Ford rally raid venture
M-Sport plans to enter the rally raid arena as part of a new collaboration with Neil Woolridge Motorsport that intends to contest the famous Dakar Rally in the future.
How Audi took the Dakar by storm with its hybrid game-changer
Four stage wins and all three cars reaching the finish was no small achievement for Audi on its first attempt at motorsport’s toughest event with a brand-new car. The key men behind the RS Q e-tron project explain why it was such a momentous feat
Tank Slappers Podcast: Petrucci reflects on his Dakar odyssey
After a wild Dakar Rally debut, double MotoGP race winner Danilo Petrucci is the special guest of the first Tank Slappers Podcast of 2021.
Injury, COVID, camels and redemption: A MotoGP star's Dakar odyssey
Danilo Petrucci’s decision to switch to rallying at the conclusion of his time in MotoGP at the end of 2021 raised many eyebrows. Deciding to make his rally raid debut at the Dakar courted scepticism. With his debut almost over on several occasions before it began, Petrucci’s Dakar odyssey was a wild affair full of ups, downs and a run-in with a camel. He sat down with Autosport to reveal all
The positive future implications of Audi's creditable Dakar debut
OPINION: Audi has been a disruptive presence on the 2022 Dakar Rally, with its new hybrid RS Q e-tron taking three stage wins so far. Its impressive pace and resilience on one of the world’s toughest tests also bodes well for the Dakar’s future as it seeks to attract new manufacturers
How Prodrive plans to use trial by Dakar to spur it to victory
Having tasted plenty of success in the World Rally Championship in the past, Prodrive took its off-road excursions to a new level with its first Dakar Rally entry this year. Now well-versed in the challenges that the famous rally-raid event possesses, Prodrive can learn from those lessons for next year's tilt at Dakar honours
Why Loeb has joined forces with an old enemy for Dakar
The nine-time World Rally champion is heading to the Dakar Rally with an all-new project, and is joining up with the team he often fought against in the WRC - Prodrive - in his quest to finally add the most famed rally raid of them all to his bulging CV
Richards on Prodrive's new Dakar challenge
With a stunning success record in motorsport, Prodrive is targeting a new crown by entering the 2021 Dakar Rally. David Richards provides an update on the programme, how COVID has slowed its plans and its options on who sits behind the wheel of its new car
Why Alonso is already exceeding expectations in Dakar bid
How significant was Fernando Alonso's first cross-country rallying podium on a Saudi Arabian event last weekend? Very. The next leg of his post-F1 quest for versatile glory is going very well so far...
What Alonso learned from his best Dakar test yet
Double Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso took on one of his biggest challenges yet in the five-day Dakar warm-up event, Rally Morocco. Alonso gives his thoughts on his progress in a "bittersweet" event, and whether he will contest the Dakar
Why Alonso must heed Loeb's Dakar failures
Fernando Alonso is edging closer to a Dakar debut, but he should take heed of the lessons rallying legend Sebastien Loeb has learned through several near-misses, despite his promising performances at the event