Al-Attiyah stripped of Dakar Stage 5 win after spare wheel mishap

Dacia driver Nasser Al-Attiyah has lost his victory in Stage 5 of the Dakar Rally due to a time penalty, with Toyota rival Seth Quintero promoted to the top spot.

Five-time Dakar winner Al-Attiyah had dominated the fifth test between Al’Ula and Ha’il on Thursday to win by 9m59s, but a 10-minute time drop for losing a spare wheel has left him a second behind Quintero.

Dacia has a novel system where the spare wheel is encased within the car. There is a quick release mechanism which makes life easier for its crews in case of a puncture, but also increases the risk of the wheel falling off when the car hits a bump.

With Al-Attiyah demoted to second, Quintero recorded his second stage win of 2025, having also won the opening test in Bisha on Saturday.

Incidentally, he didn’t win that stage on the road either; he was belatedly awarded extra time by organiser ASO for helping the stranded Ford of four-time champion Carlos Sainz Sr.

The updated result on Thursday means Toyota has now swept the opening week of Dakar, with its factory team and customer squad Overdrive having won all five stages so far.

All crews will now halt for the mid-rally rest day in Ha’il before setting off for Al Duwadimi on Saturday. The second part of the event features a total of seven stages, including a visit to the famous Empty Quarters desert in Saudi Arabia.