Al-Rajhi retakes lead from Lategan and is set to win his first Dakar Rally title
Al-Rajhi retakes lead from Lategan and is set to win his first Dakar Rally title
Driver Yazeed Al Rajhi prepares at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Driver Henk Lategan wait at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Driver Driver Mattias Ekstrom prepares at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Rider Daniel Sanders, center, waits at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Drivers wait at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Riders wait at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Driver Yazeed Al Rajhi prepares at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Driver Yazeed Al Rajhi prepares at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Driver Henk Lategan wait at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Driver Henk Lategan wait at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Driver Driver Mattias Ekstrom prepares at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Driver Driver Mattias Ekstrom prepares at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Rider Daniel Sanders, center, waits at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Rider Daniel Sanders, center, waits at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Drivers wait at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Drivers wait at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Riders wait at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Riders wait at the start delayed due to fog during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally with start and finish in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
SHUBAYTAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Yazeed Al-Rajhi is set to win the Dakar Rally on home soil in the Saudi desert after retaking the lead from South Africa’s Henk Lategan on Thursday.
Lategan started the penultimate stage east of Shubaytah with a 2 1/2 minute overall lead on Al-Rajhi, but after more than four hours and a 267-kilometer loop in sand east of Shubaytah, he trailed the Saudi by more than six minutes.
Al-Rajhi and co-pilot Timo Gottschalk rubbed out their deficit after about 100 kilometers and increased their lead second by second in the Empty Quarter dunes.
“I trusted myself, I attacked and enjoyed,” Al-Rajhi said.
The title would be his first in 11 Dakars, six in Saudi Arabia. His previous best was third in 2022. Germany’s Gottschalk previously won in 2011 while navigating for five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah.
The 12th and last stage on Friday is a 61-kilometer mass start back to Shubaytah.
“There’s not much more we could have done today,” Lategan said. “I tried my best and at the end we were looking for tracks and opening some of the way with Lucas (Moraes). I’ve never been a sand or dune expert but I’m happy to come through the stage. The car is still in one piece. We made it. It’s amazing. We’ve had a really good Dakar with some ups and downs. Overall, I’m happy with how it went and how it’s going.”
Lategan and third-placed Mattias Ekstrom of Sweden are also set to achieve their best Dakar finishes.
Ekstrom was 22 minutes behind Al-Rajhi overall but consolidated third in the general standings after winning the stage by 41 seconds from Al-Attiyah and extending his advantage to more than four minutes over the Qatari, who couldn’t overcome an early double puncture.
Al-Rajhi was third on the stage and Lategan fifth.
Sanders set for first win
There will be another first-time winner on the motorbike even though Daniel Sanders saw his lead over Tosha Schareina slashed to nine minutes from 16 1/2.
Schareina won the stage, which was cut in half to 152 kilometers because fog delayed the start for three hours and organizers wanted to prevent the possibility of a finish in darkness.
Spain’s Schareina was fastest for almost the entire two-hour course, and Argentina’s Luciano Benavides was second by 33 seconds. France’s Adrien van Beveren was third by less than a minute.
Sanders was sixth but the Australian still enjoyed a solid overall lead and will follow countryman and mentor Toby Price as a Dakar champion.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing