Carlos Sainz Sr. has extended his lead in the 2024 Dakar Rally after Sébastien Loeb encountered suspension problems during Thursday's 11th stage. Loeb lost over an hour due to a broken A-arm on his Prodrive Hunter during the 420km stage from Al-Alula to Yanbu.

Audi Sport's Sainz finished third behind Overdrive Toyota drivers Guerlain Chicherit and Guillaume de Mevius. Sainz now holds a commanding 1h27m lead over de Mevius, with Loeb dropping to third place, 1h35s behind.

"After catching Seb, we drove carefully due to numerous stones," Sainz explained. "Sometimes you need to drive slowly and hope for luck. With 170km remaining, we need to focus on crossing the finish line."

In motorcycles, Ricky Brabec maintains his overall lead but saw his advantage shrink as Ross Branch won the stage. Brabec now leads Branch by 10m22s and Honda teammate Adrien Van Beveren by 14m31s.

Van Beveren experienced a dramatic encounter with dromedaries during his third-place finish, causing him to crash. "I went over the handlebars at speed," he recalled. "The airbag protected me well, and despite bike damage, I managed to finish."

The rally concludes tomorrow with a final sprint to determine the 2024 Dakar champions in both car and motorcycle categories. Veterans like Sainz and Brabec remain cautious, knowing that even substantial leads can disappear quickly in the challenging desert conditions.

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