The winner of the Dakar 2024, Carlos Sainz (Ford), is already giving up! His antics during the first day of the 48h Chrono cost him dearly! A camouflage for Ford, this is the first Dakar with the Raptor T1+! Note that the third stage this Wednesday is also truncated due to heavy rain.
Dakar 2025, game over pour Carlos Sainz !
Despite his accident on Sunday, Carlos Sainz managed to reach the finish of the 48h Chrono today. This morning, everything went wrong for “El Matador”: puncture, gardening and more than an hour flew by. In the end, the decision fell this evening: the four-time winner of the Dakar is withdrawing from the competition for this year and gives us an appointment in 2026. In 18 participations, this is the 8th retirement of the double world rally champion! This decision comes because the FIA considers its Raptor T1+ too damaged to leave safely.
For Ford, all hopes now rest on Mattias Ekström, fifth overall, 13 minutes behind the current leader, Henk Lategan (Toyota).
Stage 3 of the Dakar 2025 is shortened!
The organizer of the Dakar, ASO, has also just announced that stage 3 will be shortened! So, instead of 496kms the special will be 327kms! Here is the official press release regarding this reduction in distance linked to severe weather:
“Storms are abundantly watering the Al Henakiyah region and their activity is likely to continue. As a result, the organizers have decided to activate a lighter alternative solution for tomorrow's program. A more accessible stage has been designed to give breathing space to organisms and machines, which will be called upon again during the marathon format stage on January 8 and 9. The finish of the special will be judged at kilometer 327 of the initial route (496 km), which will eliminate 169 kilometers of passages hit by rain. The bivouac departure times are preserved.”
Article published on 01/06/2025 at 8:15 p.m.
Photo credit of one: ASO/F.Le Floc'h/DPPI
