The 2025 Dakar introduced significant changes in rally raid. Yazeed Al Rajhi achieved his first victory in his eleventh participation, surpassing Toyota's official teams with an Overdrive private Hilux. This edition saw the return of brands like Ford and Dacia, while Audi's absence allowed independent teams to shine.
Cars: Al Rajhi's persistence
The Saudi driver made a comeback after being behind in the early stages. Henk Lategan led much of the rally thanks to his consistency, but navigation errors in stage 9 and lower performance in the dunes allowed Al Rajhi to take the lead in the Empty Quarter. The Saudi's final advantage was 3 minutes and 57 seconds, enough to secure a victory at home. Yazeed Al Rajhi became the first Saudi driver to win the Dakar in his home country. This achievement places him alongside drivers like Pierre Lartigue, who triumphed in 1994 when the Dakar was held in France. Mattias Ekström, representing Ford, completed the podium after a consistent performance that included a stage win.
Nasser Al Attiyah, who faced penalties and mechanical problems, finished fourth. His competitive pace in the second week was affected by mistakes in stage 10. Meanwhile, Century and X-raid also achieved positive results: Guillaume de Mevius won a stage with the gasoline-powered Mini, while Portuguese driver João Ferreira finished eighth with the diesel version.
SSV: New faces and consolidations
Brock Heger was crowned champion in his debut in the SSV category, taking advantage of the mechanical issues faced by rivals like Xavier de Soultrait, who lost the lead after damaging his front axle in stage 4. Alexandre Pinto completed the podium, while \"Chaleco\" López achieved five stage victories, the most in this edition, finishing second with a gap of over two hours.
Challenger: Argentine success
Nicolás Cavigliasso, alongside Valentina Pertegarini, led the Challenger category from the start in Bisha. His experience in the 2024 W2RC season was crucial to avoiding mistakes, securing a lead of over an hour against Portuguese driver Gonçalo Guerreiro, who stood out for his consistency. Pau Navarro, with two stage victories, took third place.
The debutants from the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team, Corbin Leaverton and Gonçalo Guerreiro, made their mark. Leaverton won two stages despite mechanical problems. Yasir Seaidan and Dania Akeel also contributed to Saudi Arabia's record with five stages won at home.
Trucks: Czech supremacy
Martin Macík maintained his dominance in the truck category, defending his title with five stage victories. Mitchel van den Brink, celebrating his 23rd birthday during the race, achieved his best result by finishing second. Ales Loprais completed the podium. Key stage withdrawals reduced competition among favorites.
Dakar Classic: Spanish triumph
Carlos Santaolalla, driving a Toyota HDJ 80, became the first two-time Dakar Classic champion since its inception in 2021. Lorenzo Traglio took second place, while Karolis Raisys completed the podium with a Land Rover Series III.
Technological innovation
The second edition of the Mission 1000 challenge allowed the evaluation of sustainable technologies. The hydrogen-powered truck from HySe and the electric motorcycles from Segway made significant progress in autonomy and performance, standing out over the 1,300 kilometers covered.
2025 Final Standings After Stage 12
| Pos. | No. | Driver-Team | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 201 | (sau) YAZEED AL RAJHI (deu) TIMO GOTTSCHALK |
OVERDRIVE RACING | 52h 52' 15'' | - |
| 2 | 211 | (zaf) HENK LATEGAN (zaf) BRETT CUMMINGS |
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | 52h 56' 12'' | + 00h 03' 57'' |
| 3 | 226 | (swe) MATTIAS EKSTRÖM (swe) EMIL BERGKVIST |
FORD M-SPORT | 53h 12' 36'' | + 00h 20' 21'' |
| 4 | 200 | (qat) NASSER AL-ATTIYAH (fra) EDOUARD BOULANGER |
THE DACIA SANDRIDERS | 53h 16' 13'' | + 00h 23' 58'' |
| 5 | 228 | (usa) MITCHELL GUTHRIE (usa) KELLON WALCH |
FORD M-SPORT | 53h 54' 25'' | + 01h 02' 10'' |
| 6 | 209 | (fra) MATHIEU SERRADORI (fra) LOIC MINAUDIER |
CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM | 54h 04' 19'' | + 01h 12' 04'' |
| 7 | 216 | (arg) JUAN CRUZ YACOPINI (esp) DANIEL OLIVERAS |
OVERDRIVE RACING | 54h 50' 02'' | + 01h 57' 47'' |
| 8 | 240 | (prt) JOÃO FERREIRA (prt) FILIPE PALMEIRO |
X-RAID MINI JCW TEAM | 55h 08' 12'' | + 02h 15' 57'' |
| 9 | 204 | (usa) SETH QUINTERO (deu) DENNIS ZENZ |
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING | 55h 12' 19'' | + 02h 20' 04'' |
| 10 | 214 | (zaf) BRIAN BARAGWANATH (zaf) LEONARD CREMER |
CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM | 55h 51' 41'' | + 02h 59' 26'' |
Henk Lategan holds on to first place after stage 8 of the Dakar
Challenging terrain and penalties mark the eighth stage of Dakar 2025
Guillaume de Mévius breaks Toyota's streak with a 1-2 for Mini X-Raid
Toyota loses ground on a decisive day
Dakar 2025: Narrow victory for Seth Quintero on stage 5
Changes in the classification of the Dakar 2025 after a penalty
