Saudi Arabian driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi emerged as the winner of the Dakar Rally.
The desert race lasted 13 days and covered more than 5,000 kilometers of special stages. Al-Rajhi was followed by South African Henk Lategan, with less than a four-minute difference between them, the smallest margin in the past 15 years.
Lategan led the car category for a week, maintaining his advantage thanks to his consistency. However, a navigation error on Tuesday, as the race entered the Empty Quarter dunes, created an opportunity for Al-Rajhi. The Saudi driver showcased exceptional performance on the dunes and held on to this advantage until the end of the race. This marked his first Dakar victory.
Al-Rajhi celebrated his win with the following statement:
“I am very, very happy to do it. It is not an easy race; it’s the toughest one that I’ve done in the last 11 years. Me and Timo and my team did a great job like always.”
Swedish driver Mattias Ekström secured third place in the race. Five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah, who received a 10-minute penalty in stage five and faced navigation errors, failed to make the podium. This was the first time in 18 years that he finished off the podium in a race he completed.
In the motorbike category, Australian Daniel Sanders claimed the championship. Winning the first three stages, Sanders maintained his lead throughout the race, delivering the most dominant performance since 2009.
Sanders, who debuted in 2021 and finished fourth as the best rookie, shared his emotions:
“When I came out of the dunes … I could see the bivouac, and I just got instant chills through my whole body. I was super nervous. I couldn’t believe it. All the emotions started coming through, and I could see the finishing line.”
“To win the six-day international enduro and now the Dakar, it’s just ticked off all the goals for my career. After the last three years of a lot of lows, now we’ve got the up, so all the hard work has paid off.”
Spanish rider Tosha Schareina, who had been chasing Sanders since the fourth stage, finished second, nine minutes behind. French rider Adrien van Beveren finished third, with a 15-minute gap. Defending champion Ricky Brabec ended the race in fifth place, 30 minutes behind the winner.