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Ford driver Mattias Ekstrom was quickest within the penultimate stage of the Dakar Rally on Thursday, whereas Overdrive’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi took a decisive lead over manufacturing facility Toyota rival Henk Lategan.
In what was the final main check of the 2025 Dakar, rivals needed to traverse 275km of dunes via the well-known Empty Quarters in Saudi Arabia earlier than halting for the night time at Shubayth.
Lategan entered the weather-delayed stage with a bonus of 2m27s within the total standings, however a tricky run for the South African swung the battle in favour of Al-Rajhi, who now seems set to take a maiden victory within the rally-raid.
Saudi driver Al-Rajhi, Ekstrom and Dacia star Nasser Al-Attiyah have been in a league of their very own throughout Stage 11, pulling virtually 10 minutes away from their nearest rivals by the end line.
5-time Dakar winner Al-Attiyah held the preliminary benefit within the new-for-2025 Dacia Sandrider, earlier than Ekstrom pulled forward on the 94km marker in his Ford Raptor.
Al-Rajhi took second in his buyer Toyota Hilux and closed the hole to beneath a minute at across the midway level, whereas Al-Attiyah dropped 4 minutes behind on account of unknown causes.
Al-Attiyah put in a mighty effort within the ultimate a part of the day to shut the hole again up once more, however Ekstrom held on to his place by 41s to take his fifth profession stage win in Dakar.
#200 The Dacia Sandriders Dacia: Nasser Al-Attiyah, Edouard Boulanger
Picture by: Purple Bull Content material Pool
The outcome secured back-to-back stage wins for newcomer Ford, with the Swede’s team-mate Nani Roma having triumphed in Stage 10 on Wednesday.
Al-Rajhi had held second place for a lot of the day, however fell behind a charging Al-Attiyah on the penultimate checkpoint.
Nonetheless, third was nonetheless a stable outcome for the native favorite, with in a single day chief Lategan ending up 10m23s off the lead in fifth, behind the opposite Ford of Mitch Guthrie Jr.
Which means the 43-year-old is again on the entrance within the normal classification, 6m11s away from Lategan with simply 61km to run within the ultimate stage on Friday.
Ekstrom now seems set to complete on the general podium for the primary time in 4 makes an attempt, having moved 4m16s away from the chasing Al-Attiyah after Thursday.
Guthrie Jr has cemented fifth within the standings, with Century’s Mathieu Serradori likewise secure in sixth after ending inside the highest 10 on Thursday.
X-raid driver Joao Ferreira stays Mini’s highest-placed rider within the total standings in eighth, behind Overdrive’s Juan Cruz Yacopini.
Dakar 2025 – Classification after Stage 11 (High 10)
Pos
Driver
Automobile
Time/Hole
1
Yazeed Al-Rajhi
Toyota
51h53m36s
2
Henk Lategan
Toyota
6m11s
3
Mattias Ekstrom
Ford
22m34s
4
Nasser Al-Attiyah
Dacia
26m50s
5
Mitch Guthrie Jr
Ford
59m26s
6
Mathieu Serradori
Century
1h10m08s
7
Juan Cruz Yacopini
Toyota
1h58m13s
8
Seth Quintero
Toyota
2h15m59s
9
Joao Ferreira
Mini
2h19m47s
10
Brian Baragwanath
Century
2h53m26s
Pictures from Dakar Rally Stage 11
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Author : Motorsports
Publish date : 2025-01-27 03:36:21
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