Sainz forced out of Dakar Rally due to damaged car

Carlos Sainz Sr will take no additional half within the 2025 version of Dakar Rally after sustaining heavy injury to his Ford Raptor in the course of the 48-hour Stage 2.

Sainz’s automotive rolled over and landed on its roof after a dune soar 327km into Sunday’s check close to Bisha in Saudi Arabia. Though the Spaniard was capable of return to the bivouac and end the stage on Monday, the FIA performed checks on his automotive later within the night to find out whether or not he can participate within the the rest of the occasion.

Following the investigation, the technical stewards determined that Sainz can’t proceed any additional resulting from injury to the automotive’s roll cage construction.

Any deformation that exceeds the restrict set by the laws may have critical repercussions within the occasion of a repeat accident – and the construction might not be protected sufficient to guard the driving force and the co-driver contained in the cabin.

Based on the laws, no repairs could be made to that half, and Ford issued a press release confirming the rationale for the withdrawal:

“Because of the injury sustained to the protection cage of car #225 [Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz] in the course of the accident within the first a part of the 48-hour stage of the Dakar Rally 2025 and in accordance with FIA laws, it has been determined to withdraw the car,” it stated.

The retirement brings a untimely finish to Sainz’s first Dakar participation with newcomer Ford. The four-time Dakar winner had already dropped an hour and a half to stage winner Rokas Baciuska (Overdrive Toyota) and felt his possibilities of a victory have been over even earlier than he was compelled out of the rally.

The DNF can also be an enormous blow to Ford in its first full-fledged manufacturing facility look in Dakar, with Sainz’s team-mate Nani Roma having already fallen out of rivalry on Monday with an engine drawback.

Nonetheless, Roma will be capable of resume the rally in Stage 3 on Tuesday after conducting vital repairs to his Ford Raptor.

The American producer’s greatest runner is now Mattias Ekstrom, who sits fifth and 13 minutes down on total chief Henk Lategan of Toyota.