Al-Rajhi storms into lead as Sainz and Loeb hit hassle

Toyota privateer Yazeed Al-Rajhi moved into the lead of the Dakar Rally after the primary half of the 48-hour chrono stage on Sunday, with Dacia’s Nasser Al-Attiyah in scorching pursuit in second.

Following a profitable debut in 2024, ASO carried out the brand new marathon stage format once more this time, with rivals going through an arduous 947km take a look at over Sunday and Monday with restricted exterior help.

However as an alternative of the schedule merely being divided into two days primarily based on distance, drivers needed to cowl as a lot floor as they presumably may earlier than 5pm on Sunday, earlier than halting on the subsequent out there bivouac. They must full the rest of the stage from their respective beginning positions on Monday.

When the motion received beneath method in Bisha at round 6am native time, Al-Rajhi and Al-Attiyah, who had set equivalent instances in Saturday’s opening particular, instantly shot to the entrance of the pack from decrease down the order.

Each had loads of floor to cowl, having dropped greater than 10 minutes in Stage 1 and began the day in twenty second and twenty first respectively.

For probably the most half it was Saudi driver Al-Rajhi who maintained the benefit in his Overdrive-entered Toyota Hilux, though Al-Attiyah was briefly capable of snatch the lead on the 231km mark.

Nevertheless, Al-Rajhi’s house information proved essential in the course of the second half of the day and he regained the lead on the seventh checkpoint, positioned 373km into the stage.

Regardless of Al-Attiyah’s finest makes an attempt at retaking the initiative, Al-Rajhi was capable of keep a lead of 1m19s as they reached Bivouac E simply earlier than the cut-off level. They are going to spend the rest of the day tenting on the similar level within the desert, earlier than setting off as soon as once more on Monday morning.

Whereas Al-Rajhi and Al-Attiyah obtained competitors from various drivers in the course of the early a part of the stage, that they had sprinted away from others lengthy earlier than the end time of 5pm.

The closest driver to the duo at that time was Ford’s Mattias Ekstrom, who completed eight minutes down in third, in one of the best of the Raptor T1+s.

In fourth place got here manufacturing unit Toyota driver Henk Lategan, main a slew of different Hilux drivers together with Overdrive’s Juan Cruz Yacopini, team-mate Man Botterill and bike racing convert Toby Worth.

Worth, a two-time Dakar champion with KTM, ended up simply 16m20s down on Al-Rajhi on his maiden outing on 4 wheels with Overdrive Toyota.

New Ford recruit Nani Roma, who misplaced time on Saturday with a mechanical concern, ended up eighth forward of Toyota’s Giniel de Villiers, who made it six Hilux entries inside the highest 10.

Century Racing’s Mathieu Serradori and Brian Baragwanath had been categorized tenth and twelfth respectively, separated by the lead X-raid Mini entry of Guillaume de Mevius.

One among Dakar’s main contenders, Sebastien Loeb had a troublesome day in Saudi Arabia, along with his Dacia Sandrider stopping for round 9 minutes with engine hassle.

#219 The Dacia Sandriders Dacia: Sebastien Loeb, Fabian Lurquin

Picture by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool

The Frenchman was provisionally categorized in fifteenth place after reaching Bivouac E, however has already misplaced over half-hour to the frontrunners.

Loeb’s former World Rally Championship rival Carlos Sainz Sr suffered a fair greater blow to his victory hopes, along with his Ford Raptor rolling over and touchdown the other way up over sand on the 327km mark.

After receiving some help from his team-mate Mitch Guthrie Jr, Sainz was capable of flip his automotive upright and resume the rally, however he completed the day outdoors the highest 20 and virtually an hour down on pacesetter Al-Rajhi.

Following two full days of operating in 2025 Dakar, Al-Rajhi and Al-Attiyah maintain the highest spots within the common rating, with Lategan’s time from Stage 1 retaining him in third place forward of high Ford runner Ekstrom. Botterill sits in fifth place forward of Worth and Roma.

Dakar 2025 – Standings after Stage 2A / Bivouac E (Prime 10)