Is the Dakar Loeb's one weakness?

·34 min·3 clips

Why does the greatest rally driver of all time, Sebastian Loeb, keep crashing at the Dakar Rally?

The episode opens with host Luke Barry recalling his childhood watching Sebastian Loeb in WRC and noting the shock of seeing him crash at Dakar. Guest David Evans joins to discuss Loeb's status as the greatest rally driver and his Dakar misfortunes. Evans explains Loeb's WRC strategy of driving at 95-96% to avoid accidents, contrasting it with his push beyond 98% at Dakar. Barry provides context on Loeb's 2025 Dakar: an electrical problem cost 20 minutes, then a roll caused tire and steering damage, leading to exclusion. The hosts compare Loeb's style to Carlos Sainz's methodical approach and note Sainz's own roll in the chrono stage. They delve into Dakar's appeal, highlighting the 48-hour stage that captivated audiences, including Evans' daughter who became a fan after learning about survival kits. The conversation shifts to rally raid's growth, with manufacturers like Dacia and Ford committing to the World Rally-Raid Championship, while WRC sees fewer new entries. They discuss Christian Loriaud's move from Hyundai's WRC team to Overdrive Racing in rally raid, analyzing his engineering motivations. The hosts reflect on Dakar's evolution from Africa to Saudi Arabia and its ability to generate human stories. They compare Dakar's two-week engagement to WRC's season-long format, noting differences in fan interest. The episode concludes with mentions of upcoming Monte Carlo Rally coverage on DirtFish.

As heard by us

A focused Dakar discussion on why even rally's greatest driver keeps finding this event just out of reach.

Sebastian Loeb's latest Dakar setback gives the episode a clean central question: why does an event that should suit one of rallying's greats keep slipping away from him?

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Why you'd press play

You get Loeb's latest Dakar setback, a dune taken with too much speed, and the rally world's most entertaining goat detour.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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