RACE SUMMARY

Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters - Hero MotoCorp, maintained their overall leadership, as Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge completed 4 of 5 stages.

Aaron Marè secured his second stage win of the week, following his triumph in Stage 2. Showcasing an exceptionally brilliant performance so far in the rally, the South African who joined the team as a substitute rider, has widened his overall lead to over 10 minutes from the nearest competitor. With just one last stage left in the race, the young pilot who is an expert in riding on the Middle East deserts, is on the verge of picking up his first World Championship race victory.

Winner of the previous stage, Ross Branch, did a fantastic job opening the Stage today. He had to work his way through the dunes that got wet from the overnight rains. However, a slight error towards the latter half cost him a few dear minutes. The Botswanan airline pilot is currently 20 minutes away from the podium, owing to an unfortunate delay from a mechanical issue in Stage 1.

Stage 4 of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge was a 345 km loop south of Mezaira’a, including a 232 km special. The special started with a bang, with some stretches of salt flats. Continuing the trend of a majority of sand and dunes, this stage in the Empty Quarter also featured some hefty sand mountains towards the tail end of the day. The surprise rains in the desert have made riding on the sand more difficult for the competitors, requiring them to be all the more cautious.