A New Era in the Dakar Rally
Saudi pilot Yazeed Al-Rajhi made history by becoming the first driver to win the Dakar Rally in his home country. With his Toyota vehicle and former co-pilot of Carlos Sainz, Timo Gottschalk, Al-Rajhi achieved a remarkable feat, marking a new milestone in the history of the toughest rally on the planet.
This achievement is historic for two reasons. Firstly, it represents the coronation of a private driver and team as winners of the Dakar, a feat that has not been achieved since Jean-Louis Schlesser’s victory in 2000. Secondly, Al-Rajhi’s victory marks the first time a local driver has won the rally, a milestone that had not been achieved in Africa or South America.
Al-Rajhi’s journey to victory was not without its challenges. Despite showing great potential since his first appearance in the rally in 2015, he had always struggled with impulsiveness, which led to mistakes that prevented him from achieving his goal. However, with the support of his team and co-pilot, he was able to overcome these challenges and achieve his dream of becoming a Dakar champion.
The final stage of the rally was won by Lucas Moraes, who left Nasser Al-Attiyah without the record of partial victories. The provisional car classification and general car classification are as follows:
Provisional Car Classification, Stage 10
Lucas Moraes (Toyota) 54:24
Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia) at 1:33
Henk Lategan (Toyota) at 2:11
Mattias Ekström (Ford) at 2:12
Juan Cruz Yacopini (Toyota) at 3:59
Guillaume De Mevius (Mini) at 4:06
Joao Ferreira (Mini) at 4:23
Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Toyota) at 4:25
Seth Quintero (Toyota) at 4:42
Saood Variawa (Toyota) at 4:43
General Car Classification
Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Toyota) 52h 52:15
Henk Lategan (Toyota) at 3:57
Mattias Ekström (Ford) at 20:21
Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia) at 23:58
Mitch Guthrie (Ford) at 1h 02:10
Mathieu Serradori (Century) at 1h 12:04
Juan Cruz Yacopini (Toyota) at 1h 57:47
Joao Ferreira (Mini) at 2h 15:57
Seth Quintero (Toyota) at 2h 20:04
Brian Baragwanath (Century) at 2h 59:26
The best classified Spanish driver was Dani Oliveras, co-pilot of Juan Cruz Yacopini at Toyota.