Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi maintained his overnight lead to win the second stage of the Dakar 2025 rally on Monday, known as the challenging '48-hour Chrono. ' Defending champion Carlos Sainz finished 1 hour and 30 minutes behind.
The 43-year-old, competing in his home country, completed the 967 km special stage, which spanned two days, in 10 hours, 56 minutes, and 54 seconds, despite receiving a 2-minute penalty for speeding.
He was followed by South African Henk Lategan, who finished 4 minutes and 16 seconds behind, and Qatari Nasser Al Attiyah briefly took the lead for 142 km before finishing in third place.
"It was hard. I feel like this is our tenth day on the Dakar," Al Rajhi said upon arriving at the rally bivouac, which began on Friday. Sainz severely damaged his Ford Raptor when he rolled it on Sunday but managed to finish the stage, although he is now ranked 26th in the overall standings.
"The navigation was complicated in some areas due to the divots and dust. You needed a rocket, not a car, to pass through them. It wasn't easy." For this long stage, which started on Sunday, the competitors had to bivouac in the desert without the assistance of their teams during the night stop.