Price edges in front after Stage 12 as Loeb banks fifth consecutive Dakar Rally stage win

Friday saw the remaining 2023 Dakar Rally competitors take on the final part of the Marathon Stage with the bike and car podium places changing across the magical Empty Quarter dunes. Here is all you need to know:

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January 13 | Stage 12 | Empty Quarter Marathon – Shaybah | Distance – Total/Special: 374.86km/183km

– Stage 12 saw the conclusion of the two-part Marathon Stage with a fifth consecutive car stage win for Sébastien Loeb seeing the nine-time WRC winner and co-driver Fabian Lurquin move up to second overall in their BRX Hunter 1hr27m10s behind defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah.

– Four-time Dakar champion Al-Attiyah now has just two stages to successfully complete in his Toyota Hilux T1+ before he can celebrate a fifth title at the world’s most brutal rally with Brazilian rookie Lucas Moraes over 50 minutes ahead of former winner Giniel de Villiers in the fight for the third podium spot. Frenchman Loeb, 48, said: “It was a perfect day: no mistakes, no stalling, no about turns. We drove well and the car worked perfectly. Second place is our goal, that’s why we’re pushing.”

– The leading bike rider has changed every day since the Rest Day with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price 28 seconds ahead of American Skyler Howes and Argentine Kevin Benavides 2m40s off in third. Australian Price, 35, revealed: “The Empty Quarter has delivered what they said it was going to do. There was a lot of sand and a lot of nothing.”

– It was a solid T3 conclusion for the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team USA presented by BFGoodrich as American Mitch Guthrie Jr. and co-driver Kellon Walch won on the day and team-mates AJ Jones/Gustavo Gugelmin were applauded back to the Shaybah bivouac as the leaders. Guthrie Jr, 26, enthused: “The car was fast. I think we overtook about 75 cars.”

– Jones’ closest competitors are teammates Seth Quintero/Dennis Zenz 1h 4m 37s behind while T4 race leader Rokas Baciuška looks set to take the big prize alongside co-driver Oriol Vidal thanks to a 7m43s gap to Poland’s Eryk Goczal after the Lithuanian finished third last year. Baciuška, 23, declared: “Pedal to the metal, that’s the only strategy.”

– Saturday’s penultimate Stage 13 is the final chance for the convoy to surf the Empty Quarter dunes over a 153km timed special stage.

The 2023 Dakar Rally is located in Saudi Arabia and runs from December 31, 2022 – January 15, 2023.