Dakar 2025, Stage 10: Roma quickest as Lategan retakes total lead

Nani Roma scored Ford’s first stage victory of the 2025 Dakar Rally on Wednesday, whereas Toyota driver Henk Lategan recaptured the lead within the total standings.

Stage 10 marked the primary go to to the unforgiving Empty Quarters desert in Saudi Arabia, as rivals tackled 120km of dunes and sand between Haradh and Shubaytah.

The difficult route shook up the order within the Final class and allowed drivers from Challenger and SSV lessons to contend for the outright victory in automobiles.

Amid the difficult circumstances, two-time Dakar winner Roma confirmed his expertise on Stage 10, main in any respect three checkpoints to take a slender 18s victory over Toyota driver Lucas Moraes.

This was Roma’s first stage victory in Dakar since 2015 in addition to the primary for the brand new Raptor that Ford has collectively developed with M-Sport for a four-car manufacturing facility assault.

Moraes sat greater than a minute adrift of Roma on the second checkpoint, however made fast positive factors within the closing 23km stretch to the end, sealing his greatest consequence since his victory on Stage 7.

Century’s Brian Baragwanth ended up third among the many Final class contenders, simply 2m21s down on Roma in among the best showings for the South African producer.

#227 Ford M-Sport Ford: Nani Roma, Alex Haro

Photograph by: Purple Bull Content material Pool

Daniel Schroder was a shock fourth for PS Laser Racing, demoting Overdrive’s Juan Cruz Yacopini and Dacia driver Cristina Gutierrez to fifth and sixth respectively.

Denis Krotov took over the baton for X-raid Mini after Guillaume de Mevius stopped for 35 minutes in the beginning of the stage with mechanical issues, ending lower than 30 seconds behind Gutierrez in seventh.

Toyota duo Seth Quintero and Henk Lategan completed eighth and tenth respectively, separated by the Century of Matthieu Serradori.

Lategan’s prime 10 end was notably essential in South Africa’s pursuit of a maiden Dakar win as his nearest title rivals had a troublesome day within the dunes.

Each Ford’s Mattias Ekstrom and Overdrive’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi regularly slipped outdoors the highest 20 as increasingly drivers reached the end, whereas issues bought even worse for Dacia’s Nasser Al-Attiyah, who ended up twenty fourth within the provisional outcomes after shedding his manner simply 9km into the stage.

That meant that Lategan was capable of return to the entrance within the total standings, overturning a seven-minute deficit from Tuesday right into a 2m27s benefit over Al-Rajhi.

#211 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota: Henk Lategan, Brett Cummings

Photograph by: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

Ekstrom has now dropped 26 minutes behind Lategan, whereas Al-Attiyah faces a 30-minute deficit with simply two extra levels to run within the 2025 Dakar.

Mitch Guthrie Jr’s Thirteenth-place end within the different Ford retains him fifth within the total standings, however solely 5 minutes forward of Serradori’s Century.

All remaining drivers sit not less than 90 minutes behind and with no sensible likelihood of preventing again within the forty seventh version of the Dakar, with solely 336km of distance left to cowl within the closing two levels.

Dakar 2025 – Classification after Stage 10 (High 10)

Pos

Driver

Automobile

Time/Hole

Henk Lategan

Toyota

47h29m57s

Yazeed Al-Rajhi

Toyota

2m27s

Mattias Ekstrom