Nasser Al Attiyah has extended his lead of the Qatar Cross Country Rally to eight minutes, despite losing time changing a puncture.
Al Attiyah won Saturday’s leg of his home event in his Toyota Hilux by three and a half minutes on his quest to win the rally for the sixth time.
Reigning champion Jakub Przygonski has catapulted himself up to second after starting the day in fourth, enjoying the advantage of being able to see the tracks of the other crews ahead of him.
Przygonski lost a substantial amount of time between the final passage control and the finish with a puncture but still set the second fastest time of the day.
Yazeed Mohammed Al-Rajhi was one of many drivers to hit trouble on the rocky terrain, accumulating three punctures across the day, as did fourth-placed Vladimir Vasilyev who also struggled in a cloud of dust from Eugenio Amos’ Ford 2WD Buggy.
Amos declared Saturday the most difficult stage of his life, encountering two tyre delaminations while battling to navigate his way to the end.
Yasir Hamad Seaidan is in sixth, ahead of Miroslav Zapletal who made his way up to seventh despite a damaged wheel on his F150 Evo.
Reinaldo Marques Varela sits in eighth, less than 30 seconds ahead of Abdullah Al Zubair behind.
Mohammed Al Attiyah rounds out the top 10.
Yesterday's third place driver Bernhard Ten Brinke was stranded after breaking the steering arm of his Toyota Hilux and running out of spares after three punctures.
He will start Sunday in 11th.
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