Saudi driver Yazeed al-Rajhi made a significant leap in the Dakar Rally standings after an impressive performance in the penultimate stage on Thursday.
Finishing third in the stage, al-Rajhi moved ahead of his competitors, reclaiming the top spot in the overall standings.
With the final stage approaching, it looks like he is on the brink of making history.
A Strong Push to the Front
In Thursday’s stage, Swedish driver Mattias Ekstrom of Ford claimed victory, completing the 275km special in the Empty Quarter dunes.
Ekstrom finished 41 seconds ahead of Nasser al-Attiyah in a Dacia, while al-Rajhi, driving for Overdrive, completed the podium in third place, 1:45 behind.
Al-Rajhi, who had been trailing South Africa’s Henk Lategan (Toyota) by 2:27 going into this stage, not only caught up with his rival but surged ahead.
By the end of the stage, al-Rajhi had opened up a significant 6:11 gap over Lategan, who is now in second place overall.
“I knew I could do it. I trusted myself, I attacked and enjoyed,” al-Rajhi said after finishing the stage, clearly pleased with his performance.
The Final Stage and Possible Victory
The 12th and final stage on Friday is mainly symbolic, with just a 61km timed special, making it unlikely that Lategan will be able to overturn the results.
With al-Rajhi’s lead and the short final stage, barring any surprises, he is set to become the first Saudi competitor to win the Dakar Rally since the race moved to Saudi Arabia in 2020.
Lategan finished fifth on Thursday, 10:23 behind Ekstrom, and is now 16:23 behind al-Rajhi in the overall standings.
Despite his struggles, Lategan expressed satisfaction with his performance, saying, “I tried everything, and I’m happy to be at the finish with the car in one piece.”
Daniel Sanders and the Bike Category
On the bike side of the Dakar Rally, Spanish rider Tosha Schareina won a shortened 11th stage, though the victory didn’t threaten Daniel Sanders’ lead in the overall standings.
Schareina completed the 112km stage in 2:12:04, but despite cutting Sanders’ lead by 7:31, Sanders still holds a comfortable nine-minute lead going into the final stage.
If Sanders manages to navigate the final 61km stage safely, he will become the second Australian to win the bike category in the Dakar Rally, following Toby Price, who won in 2016 and 2018.
Weather Delays and Stage Adjustments
The start of stage 11 was delayed by three hours due to heavy fog, which prevented the event’s helicopters from taking off.
As a result, the motorbike special stage was cut short, with the planned 308km reduced to just 152km to ensure the riders wouldn’t be out in the dark.
Argentinian rider Luciano Benavides (KTM) finished second in the stage, just 33 seconds behind Schareina.
Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) followed in third place, 24 seconds further back. Van Beveren is currently third in the overall standings, 15:50 behind Sanders.
Looking Ahead to the Final Day
With only one stage left, both al-Rajhi and Sanders are in strong positions to make history in their respective categories.
As the Dakar Rally wraps up, all eyes will be on the final stretch to see who will emerge as the ultimate victor.
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