W2RC: Lategan takes back control of the South African Safari

The South African driver Henk Lategan regained control of the South African Safari Rally after completing the 224 timed kilometers of the fourth stage, displacing Sébastien Loeb from first place by just 39 seconds before the decisive day in Sun City.

The longest day of the event, covering a total distance of 694 kilometers, proved crucial for Toyota Gazoo Racing's aspirations. The 19-year-old Saood Variawa claimed his first stage victory with a 58-second advantage over Guillaume de Mévius, who achieved the best result of the week for Mini.

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Tight battle for provisional podium

The overall classification shows an intense fight among the top five contenders, separated by just three minutes. De Mévius climbed to third place with a 2:41 gap, closely followed by Seth Quintero (+2:48) and Lucas Moraes (+2:59), both driving Toyota Hilux vehicles.

Carlos Sainz remains mathematically in contention from seventh position, 4:27 behind the leader. The Spanish driver of the Ford Raptor T1+ will start sixteenth in the final stage, a tactical advantage that could help him close the gap.

Nasser Al-Attiyah experienced early problems in the special stage and now sits in tenth place, nearly 14 minutes behind Lategan. The Qatari driver, winner of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, would need exceptional circumstances to turn his situation around.

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BBR Motorsport dominates Challenger category

David Zille consolidated his Challenger category lead by securing his third stage win of the week. The Argentine driver leads his compatriot Nicolás Cavigliasso by 5:36 in the overall standings, while BBR Motorsport claimed the top four positions of the day with Pau Navarro, Dania Akeel and Cavigliasso himself.

Adam Kuś from Akpol Recykling Team remains third in the cumulative classification, though now over 16 minutes behind the leader.

Franco nears SSV title

Alexandre Pinto returned to victory after his previous mechanical issues, beating Enrico Gaspari by 2:43. However, Mário Franco has built a nearly definitive 45:31 advantage over Michele Cinotto in the SSV championship battle.

The final 222-kilometer stage, with 111 timed kilometers around Sun City, will determine the winners of the first edition of the South African Safari Rally in the World Rally-Raid Championship.

Overall Classification after Stage 4