American driver Seth Quintero won the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Thursday by one second after Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah, who was first across the line, was penalised 10 minutes. Al Attiyah, the five-time champion, had produced what appeared to be a masterclass in his Dacia as he tried to make up the half-hour he lost the day before and was initially proclaimed the winner of the 428km special stage between Al Ula and Hail. However, the judges handed him a penalty, which left him just behind Quintero who took his second win of the rally in his Toyota. “Nasser Al Attiyah received a 10-minute penalty. The explanation is that he arrived with a spare wheel missing from his vehicle,” the organisers told the press. Since the start of the Dakar last Friday, this is the third stage in which the organisers have changed the stage winner after the finish, due to penalties or bonuses. Quintero completed the stage in 4 hours 32 minutes and 53 seconds, one second better than Al Attiyah’s adjusted time. He was a further seven seconds in front of Swedish driver Mattias Ektstrom. “The first week was pretty good for […]