Dakar 2025, Stage 4: Al-Rajhi strikes back to win, disaster for Al-Attiyah

Yazeed Al-Rajhi claimed an emphatic victory in Stage 4 of Dakar Rally to maneuver to second within the total standings behind Henk Lategan, as Nasser Al-Attiyah hit hassle.

Having misplaced a heap of time within the third check of the rally on Tuesday, the native Saudi Al-Rajhi hit again within the 415km check between Al Henakiyah and Al-Ula to re-establish himself as one of many outright favourites.

Driving a buyer Toyota Hilux for Overdrive, the 43-year-old led from begin to end over volcanic terrain and between the canyons of Al-Ula, extending his benefit to eight minutes at one level and finally taking his first stage win of 2025 by 4m51s.

Toyota’s Henk Lategan, Overdrive team-mate Toby Price and Century driver Marcelo Gistaldi all emerged as Al-Rajhi’s closest opponents all through the day, nevertheless it was Lategan who delivered essentially the most constant efficiency as he cemented his lead within the total standings.

Overdrive’s Juan Cruz Yacopini provisionally completed third and was carefully adopted by Jipocar Ford’s Martin Prokop and high X-raid Mini rider Denis Krotov, with Matthieu Serradori categorized sixth for Century Racing.

Mitch Guthrie Jr emerged as Ford’s high finisher in seventh as team-mate Mattias Ekstrom had a low-key day en path to eighth regardless of seemingly not working into any points.

However there was a double whammy for five-time Dakar winner Al-Attiyah, who first misplaced 10 minutes on the 97km marker attributable to a puncture earlier than stopping once more 20km later attributable to a rear suspension downside.

It was solely after his Dacia team-mate Cristina Gutierrez arrived on the scene that the Qatari may restore his Sandrider and get going once more, however he dropped 33m regardless of a flying end to the stage.

He wasn’t the one frontrunner to undergo an enormous blow to his victory hopes on Wednesday, as Toyota’s Seth Quintero, ex-motorcycle champion Worth and Mini duo Guillaume de Mevius and Guerlain Chicherit all misplaced greater than half an hour with separate points.

All that drama has reshuffled the overall classification within the Final class.

Al-Rajhi is now second within the standings and slightly below seven minutes behind Lategan, with Ford’s Ekstrom 21m40s behind in third place.

Serradori has climbed to fourth forward of manufacturing facility Toyota driver Lucas Moraes, who provisionally completed Wednesday’s fourth stage in tenth.

Al-Attiyah has dropped from second to seventh within the mixed order, behind Guthrie Jr, and trails Lategan by over 35 minutes with eight phases nonetheless to run.

Dakar 2025 – Outcomes after Stage 4 (Prime 10)