Loeb, a nine-time world rally champion, beat compatriot Stéphane Peterhansel, 14-time Dakar Rally winner, over sand dunes and rocky terrain on a 425-kilometre stage around Hail to win by 13 seconds.
This is the first victory for the driver of the Bahrain Red Extreme team at a stage in 2023 and the 17th in his career, as well as the second consecutive victory for Prodrive, and he did so despite the problems.
“We lost the steering wheel 20 kilometers before the finish, so we had to finish the stage very slowly… I couldn’t keep the car on the road,” Loeb said.
Al-Attiyah, a four-time Dakar winner, finished fourth, while Carlos Sainz, Audi’s driver, finished third.
“It’s a long stage and it’s not easy, it’s very difficult,” said the Qatari, who beats Saudi Arabia’s Yazid Al-Rajhi by 18 minutes and 18 seconds.
Peterhansel, who was driving an electric Audi and seeking to win the 50th stage of his career, is third in the overall standings, 18 minutes and 52 seconds off the lead, while Sainz came fourth, but more than half an hour behind Al-Attiyah.
Loeb is still outside the top 10 after being delayed for more than an hour during the second stage last Monday.