Riyadh, January 11 (QNA) - Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyah, a five-time Dakar Rally champion, retained the overall provisional lead in the 48th edition of the Dakar Rally, currently taking place in Saudi Arabia, after finishing 11th in Stage Seven.

Al Attiyah, driving for the Dacia team alongside his Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin, completed the seventh stage -held today between Riyadh and Wadi Al-Dawasir- covering a total distance of 876 kilometers, including 426 kilometers of timed special stages, in a time of 3 hours, 51 minutes, and 46 seconds, finishing 7 minutes and 24 seconds behind the stage winner.

Swedish driver Mattias Ekstrom of Ford, accompanied by his compatriot co-driver Emil Bergkvist, claimed victory in Stage Seven with a time of 3:44:22. He finished 4 minutes and 27 seconds ahead of Portugal's João Ferreira of Toyota, who placed second alongside co-driver Filipe Palmeiro in 3:48:49. American driver Mitch Guthrie Jr. of Ford, with co-driver Kellon Walch, secured third place in 3:49:17.

Al Attiyah benefited from a late setback suffered by South Africa's Henk Lategan in the final kilometers of the stage, allowing him to maintain the overall lead with a cumulative time of 28:10:15. Ekstrom moved up to second overall, trailing Al Attiyah by 4 minutes and 47 seconds, thanks to his stage win. Ekstrom also became the first driver in this year's rally to win two stages, having previously claimed victory in the opening prologue stage.

Spanish driver Nani Roma of Ford advanced to third overall after a time penalty of 1 minute and 10 seconds imposed at the finish of Stage Five was withdrawn. Roma now holds a total time of 28:17:30, trailing Al Attiyah by 7 minutes and 15 seconds. Meanwhile, Lategan dropped from second to fourth overall with a total time of 28:17:36, 7 minutes and 21 seconds off the lead.

Al Attiyah, who is seeking a record sixth Dakar Rally title, expressed his satisfaction at maintaining the overall lead despite today's result. He said he will aim to improve his performance in the remaining stages in order to preserve his lead and ultimately secure the title.

In press comments, Al Attiyah noted that today's stage was challenging and deceptive, featuring extensive sand from the start, which required precise navigation, as well as numerous rocky sections and areas with dense trees.

He also revealed that his car sustained significant damage to the left side after colliding with a large tree, adding that he will work to extend his overall lead to pave the way toward a sixth Dakar crown.

In the motorcycle category, Australian rider Daniel Sanders of Red Bull KTM continues to lead the provisional overall standings with a cumulative time of 28:47:31. He holds a narrow advantage of 4 minutes and 25 seconds over American rider Ricky Brabec of Honda, who sits second.

Argentine rider Luciano Benavides of Red Bull KTM is third, 4 minutes and 40 seconds behind his teammate Sanders. Spain's Tosha Schareina and American Skyler Howes, both riding for Honda, occupy fourth and fifth positions, trailing the leader by 15 minutes and 6 seconds, and 33 minutes and 14 seconds, respectively. (QNA)