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Bahrain Raid Xtreme’s (BRX) Sebastien Loeb is aiming for golden glory in next month’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and in preparation for the racing feat, he spent time in the kingdom fine-tuning the powerful Prodrive Hunter while also giving guests like myself a drive experience of a lifetime.
The nine-time World Rally Champion showcased what the turbo-charged V6 engine can do in Sakhir as it roared through a sandy, specially marked course near the Tree of Life with power and ease ... leaving spectators watching on the sidelines and from the bright, red canopy in complete awe of the Hunter’s ferocity and Loeb’s ability to tame the four-wheeled beast.
“It was a lot of fun for everyone and I’m happy that we were able to show our guests what a fantastic rally car the Hunter is,” said Loeb, after taking VIPs and members of the media on a series of drives in the custom-built rally car.
The Prodrive Hunter is a product of a partnership between Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain, and Prodrive, the British motorsport and engineering group. Only three Hunters exist at the moment, with more in development.
Sakhir was the perfect setting for the 47-year-old Frenchman to put the vehicle through its paces. It had already created a storm in the Saudi desert during the 2022 Dakar Rally, landing a second spot and just a single point behind Toyota Gazoo’s Nasser Al Attiyah.
Loeb aims to emerge victorious in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, which is part of the inaugural FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, held from March 5 to 10. Hence, a few days ahead of the race, the BRX team rebuilt the Hunter at the Bahrain International Circuit ... and I had the privilege to see the monster roar in Bahrain.
Before stepping into the impressive machinery as one of Loeb’s co-drivers for the day, I was suited and helmeted in protective gear by Toby Moody, BRX’s media manager.
As he and BRX’s technicians helped me into the Hunter, strapping me into the comfortable bucket seat, Moody proceeded to explain the ins and outs of the car as well as the role of the co-driver, which is to navigate.
I couldn’t help think how lucky Loeb is to ‘not’ have me as a co-driver for the rally as he would surely get lost in the desert.
Once Loeb was in the car and we were locked in, he asked me through the helmet’s radio ‘comms’ if I was ready. After a resounding yes, we were off!
I was sucked into the bucket seat by the intensity of the acceleration or ‘blast off’ so to speak. Being a small individual, and despite being strapped down by the many seat belts, I still floated out of my seat with every twist and turn through the course. I could see giant patches of dust flying from the window as we sliced through the dunes and at one point; we had lift-off as the Hunter flew onto the next road ahead. I didn’t realise how airborne we were until I saw the images afterwards. I attempted a selfie video and looked like a bobble head with engine sounds in the background.
It was an epic experience. I felt every brake and drift, shrieking in sheer delight in between little chit chats with Loeb. I kept thinking my screams of excitement might be annoying him, as he must be focusing on the course. However, as I watched him steer, I could see how cool, calm and controlled he was; like it was a regular drive on a regular day.
We did two laps at 170khp and my adrenaline continued pumping till the end of the day. It was better than a caffeine fix.
It was a special experience to know what the Hunter and Loeb can do. These other racers had better watch out because Loeb is aiming to take the lead in Abu Dhabi. With his 25 years rally experience and incredible achievements, a victory looks to be in the bag.
Nicknamed ‘The Boss’, Loeb has gained more WRC rally victories, podium finishes and stage wins, than any other driver. He has also won a RallyCross X Games gold medal, earned a podium finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, secured three Dakar Rally podium finishes and 15 stage wins and won the most recent round of the Extreme E championship.
He recently competed in the first round of the 2022 Extreme E series with Lewis Hamilton’s X44 team in Saudi Arabia as well.
Following the Desert Challenge, the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship moves on to rounds in
Kazakhstan (April 24-30), Spain (June 6-12) and Morocco (October 6-12).
For details, follow @braidxtreme on Instagram.
