Al Rajhi Makes History as First Saudi Driver to Win Dakar Rally
Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi secured his first Dakar Rally victory after 11 attempts, becoming the first Saudi to win the event and the first winner from the host country in the rally's history. Driving an Overdrive Racing Toyota, Al Rajhi finished 3m57s ahead of Toyota Gazoo Racing's Henk Lategan.
Men celebrate on race car hood
The 47th edition covered 7,828 km across Saudi Arabia, with 175 vehicles completing the full course. Notable achievements include:
- Mattias Ekstrom finished third for Ford Raptor
- Nasser Al Attiyah took fourth place
- Americans Mitch Guthrie and Seth Quintero finished fifth and ninth respectively
In the SSV category, American Brock Heger dominated from Stage 4 onwards, winning by 2h6m over "Chalaco" Lopez.
Driver interviewed beside racing car
In the bike category, KTM's Daniel Sanders led from start to finish, marking the manufacturer's 20th Dakar triumph. Honda secured second and third places with Tosha Schareina and Adrien Van Beveren, while defending champion Ricky Brabec finished fifth.
The Challenger class saw Nicolas Cavigliasso and Valentina Pertegarini maintain their lead from Bisha onwards, finishing over an hour ahead of their closest competitor, Gonçalo Guerreiro.
Of the original participants, 108 vehicles were forced to withdraw, representing nearly a third of the field. The event marked several historic achievements, including the first private team victory over factory teams in 25 years.
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