The third stage of Dakar 2025 marked the end of the stay in Bisha, starting the journey toward Al Henakiyah. This stage, initially planned for 327 kilometers, was shortened due to torrential rains in previous days that made some areas impassable. Nevertheless, conditions improved enough to offer a mixed challenge: rocky terrain in the first half and sandy plateaus in the second.
Saood Variawa's victorious debut
At just 19 years old, South African Saood Variawa became the youngest winner in the Dakar's top category. His performance stood out as he surpassed Guerlain Chicherit by 23 seconds in a stage where the Top 5 featured young talents like Seth Quintero, Joao Ferreira, and Guillaume de Mevius. The stage saw constant position changes, with drivers like Lucas Moraes and Quintero leading momentarily before losing time in the final sections.
Challenges for Sébastien Loeb
Frenchman Sébastien Loeb faced a difficult day after overturning his vehicle early in the stage. Although initial repairs were made, additional issues with a steering rod and fan failures limited his progress. This series of setbacks left him more than an hour behind the leaders, complicating his chances in the overall standings.
Truck category updates
The battle in the truck category remained between Martin Macik, Ales Loprais, and Vaidotas Zala. Macik retained the lead with a margin of just over 3 minutes over Loprais. However, the challenging terrain and cautious strategies kept the time differences relatively narrow during this stage.
Team performances
The stage also highlighted the efforts of official Toyota and Mini teams. Toyota led for much of the day, but Mini proved competitive with notable finishes from Guerlain Chicherit and Guillaume de Mevius. Meanwhile, Dacia and Ford faced challenges that dropped them down the standings. Nasser Al-Attiyah, driving his Toyota Hilux, finished sixth, while Mattias Ekstrom in a Ford closed the day in seventh place after losing pace in the final section of the route.
Overall classification after stage 3
| Pos. | N° | Driver-Team | Team | Time | Variation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 211 | (zaf) HENK LATEGAN (zaf) BRETT CUMMINGS | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | 19h 04' 53'' | |
| 2 | 200 | (qat) NASSER AL-ATTIYAH (fra) EDOUARD BOULANGER | THE DACIA SANDRIDERS | 19h 12' 10'' | + 00h 07' 17'' |
| 3 | 226 | (swe) MATTIAS EKSTRÖM (swe) EMIL BERGKVIST | FORD M-SPORT | 19h 14' 27'' | + 00h 09' 34'' |
| 4 | 201 | (sau) YAZEED AL RAJHI (deu) TIMO GOTTSCHALK | OVERDRIVE RACING | 19h 16' 38'' | + 00h 11' 45'' |
| 5 | 203 | (bra) LUCAS MORAES (esp) ARMAND MONLEON | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | 19h 24' 33'' | + 00h 19' 40'' |
| 6 | 231 | (aus) TOBY PRICE (gbr) SAM SUNDERLAND | OVERDRIVE RACING | 19h 25' 10'' | + 00h 20' 17'' |
| 7 | 209 | (fra) MATHIEU SERRADORI (fra) LOIC MINAUDIER | CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM | 19h 26' 08'' | + 00h 21' 15'' |
| 8 | 228 | (usa) MITCHELL GUTHRIE (usa) KELLON WALCH | FORD M-SPORT | 19h 28' 33'' | + 00h 23' 40'' |
| 9 | 240 | (prt) JOAO FERREIRA (prt) FILIPE PALMEIRO | X-RAID MINI JCW TEAM | 19h 37' 00'' | + 00h 32' 07'' |
| 10 | 204 | (usa) SETH QUINTERO (deu) DENNIS ZENZ | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | 19h 39' 57'' | + 00h 35' 04'' |
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Changes in the general classification after a foggy day
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