The sixth stage of the 2025 Dakar, with 606 kilometers in total, tested the participants after the rest day in Ha’il. This route combined fast plateaus, rocky terrains, and long dune sections, altering the order in several categories.
Mini X-Raid seizes the opportunity
In the cars category, Mini X-Raid broke Toyota's streak by achieving an impressive 1-2 finish with Guillaume de Mévius and Joao Ferreira. De Mévius dominated the final sections to secure his second stage win, while Ferreira climbed in the final kilometers.
Meanwhile, Nasser Al-Attiyah, driving a Dacia, recovered time against overall leader Henk Lategan, although he could not surpass Mattias Ekstrom in the standings. Lategan remains the overall leader with a margin of just over seven minutes ahead of Yazeed Al Rajhi.
Challenges for Guerlain Chicherit
The French driver Guerlain Chicherit retired after rolling his Mini at kilometer 16. Both he and his co-driver Alexandre Winocq were unharmed, but neck pain led to their evacuation by helicopter. This marks his fifth withdrawal in fourteen Dakar participations.
The challenges ahead in the second week
With six stages remaining, conditions will become increasingly demanding. Navigation and vehicle management will be crucial, especially in dune-dominated terrains, where any mistake could be costly. Teams will need to adjust their strategies to stay in contention for top positions.
Henk Lategan holds on to first place after stage 8 of the Dakar
Challenging terrain and penalties mark the eighth stage of Dakar 2025
Dakar 2025: Narrow victory for Seth Quintero on stage 5
Changes in the classification of the Dakar 2025 after a penalty
Yazeed Al Rajhi closes in on lead as Al Attiyah loses time
Changes in the standings after stage 4 of the Dakar 2025 in Alula
