The Frenchman started Stage 11 as Sainz’s only serious rival, trailing by 13:22s in the general classification after punctures caused havoc for both on the previous day.

However, Loeb will not be able to finish the AlUla-Yanbu special due to a broken right-front A-arm for his Prodrive Hunter.

He and navigator Fabian Lurquin had stopped at 132km and have reportedly asked for the assistance crew to pick them up.

Loeb will be able to take the start for tomorrow’s 12th and final stage, but with a large penalty which will take him out of contention for victory.

He had already been in a precarious position after Prodrive stablemate Nasser Al-Attiyah retired from the event just before Stage 10, whereas Sainz can count on both of his fellow Team Audi Sport drivers to come to his aid to donate wheels or parts if need be.

Sainz started 22nd on the road after his dramatic day on Stage 10 but is fastest to the most recent waypoint which he has reached, at Kilometre 179.

Barring some sort of disaster similar to that which has befallen Loeb, ‘El Matador’ is essentially guaranteed the Dakar 2024 crown in the Cars given his next-closest rival, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Lucas Moraes, was more than an hour adrift at the start of the current stage.

Before he struck trouble, Loeb was 21 seconds slower than Sainz to reach the Kilometre 93 waypoint, but that is moot now.

UPDATE: Sainz to take 86-minute lead into Dakar finale