Overview

• The Dakar Rally 2025, featuring 12 stages and over 8,000 kilometers of racing, began on January 3 in Saudi Arabia.
• Henk Lategan (Toyota Gazoo Racing) narrowly claimed victory in the auto prologue, finishing one second ahead of Mattias Ekström.
• In the moto category, Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM) topped the prologue, beating Ross Branch by 12 seconds on a challenging 29-kilometer special stage.
• The rally introduces a new format this year, with 45% of timed sections separating auto and moto routes for safety and precision.
• Notable competitors include defending champions Carlos Sainz (auto) and Ricky Brabec (moto), as well as Sébastien Loeb and Nasser Al-Attiyah, both aiming for significant wins.