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Nasser Al-Attiyah was penalized five minutes for an offense committed on Monday on the Dakar, during the eighth stage. A sanction which intervenes more than 24 hours after the facts, motivated by the discovery of new elements.

It is a "video published on social networks" and showing a wheel change carried out on the Toyota Hilux on Monday, between Al Dawadimi and Wadi Ad Dawasir, which put the chip in the ear of the FIA. The scene unfolded when the crew currently leading the general classification suffered a puncture. After intervening, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel very quickly left and it turns out that they did not immediately buckle up.

The marshals, on discovering the video, immediately considered that the short time taken to leave was "too short for the crew to be properly attached". Faced with this doubt, they therefore asked the organization to view the on-board videos which are permanently available in order to observe the movements of the pilots and co-pilots. The on-board camera confirmed the suspected violation.

"After getting back on board the vehicle, the driver engaged a gear and started," said the marshals. "Furthermore, the video shows that the crew was busy fastening the seat belts properly for 1 minute and 45 seconds. For a short time, the co-pilot even held the steering wheel so that the pilot could fasten his seat belt. "

The infringement found is contrary to article 48.1 of the Sporting Regulations of the World Rally-Raid Championship, which states that "whenever a vehicle is in motion, on any type of Selective Section and up to stopping, the crew must wear approved helmets, all clothing and safety equipment in accordance with appendix L, chapter III of the pilots' equipment, as provided by the manufacturer, and must have the properly fastened seat belts."

Stewards found that Nasser Al-Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel not only breached the regulations but also gained 1:45 by doing so. This is why they considered it "necessary" to inflict a time penalty on them "which also compensates for this chronometric advantage".

The duo therefore received a five-minute penalty, which reduced their lead in the general classification to 34'05 over Sébastien Loeb and 54'44 over Yazeed Al-Rajhi.

General classification after Stage 9