7 Days of Dakar: Day 6

This movie has been floating around for a little while now, but if you’re like me, it’s been on your list to watch but you never got the time. Back in 2016, Red Bull TV filmed a documentary about Sebastien Loeb’s first assault on the Dakar Rally that came out last year. I’ve seen plenty of ads for it while watching Red Bull’s coverage of the WRC, but it took me until now to actually sit down and give it a watch. I have to say I’m glad I did. No, it didn’t necessarily give me any new information about either Loeb or the Dakar, but there was one thing about the movie that made me sit up and take notice. As I followed the WRC growing up, I saw a whole lot of Sebastien Loeb. He somehow was able to make everything seem so effortless as he cruised to 9 straight WRC titles. Even when he was sitting at home with a broken arm back in 2006, he had amassed enough points earlier in the season to claim the title (with a privateer team no less). All of this is to say that I’d never really seen Sebastien Loeb or his co-driver Daniel Elena rattled or frustrated… until I saw this movie. For me, it provided a fascinating insight into how they as a team handled adversity. One of the most memorable scenes for me was when they were stuck in the “Fesh Fesh” for hours. You could tell that Loeb was exhausted, pissed off, and pretty much over it all. Even if you don’t speak French, you could pick up from his tones and body language as he interacted with Daniel Elena that he was close to the end of his rope. Things were tense, but somehow, Daniel was able to get Seb refocused and they were able to bear down and carry on. It was pretty interesting to see them in a situation that is not too familiar to them and to watch how they responded. Couple this with the typically stellar Red Bull TV production and some really well done camera work, and Sebastien Loeb: Off Roads is definitely worth 50 minutes of your time.

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