Al Rajhi takes lead as TGR’s Lategan falls to second in Dakar 2025

Key Highlights:

• Henk Lategan drops to second place with three stages left.
• Yazeed Al Rajhi claims the overall lead in Dakar 2025.
• Guy Botterill exits the rally after a Stage 9 crash.

The 2025 Dakar Rally took a dramatic turn during Stage 9, as Toyota Gazoo Racing’s (TGR) Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings slipped from the top spot to second place. Their Toyota counterpart, Yazeed Al Rajhi, alongside co-driver Timo Gottschalk, seized the opportunity and now leads the race.

Navigational challenges and setbacks

Lategan and Cummings faced an early navigational error after winning Stage 8, which cost them over 5 minutes by the 37km mark. To make matters worse, the duo suffered a puncture during this phase. Despite their recovery efforts, they finished the stage 16 minutes and 2 seconds behind the winners.

Conversely, Al Rajhi and Gottschalk took advantage of a favourable road position, recording the third-fastest time of the day. By the end of Stage 9, they had secured the overall lead, sitting 7 minutes and nine seconds ahead of Lategan/Cummings.

Botterill’s crash ends support role

Teammates Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy played a supportive role by shadowing Lategan/Cummings with spare parts and tires. Unfortunately, their efforts ended abruptly when their car rolled multiple times after hitting a step-up at full throttle. While the vehicle was destroyed, both crew members escaped unharmed but expressed deep disappointment at their inability to continue aiding the team.

Quintero and Moraes penalised

Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz struggled on Stage 9, incurring an 18-minute loss, primarily due to a missed waypoint penalty of 15 minutes. Without the penalty, they would have ranked among the stage’s leaders. Despite the setback, they remain in the overall Top 10, just 1 minute and 19 seconds behind their nearest competitor.

Similarly, Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleon also missed a waypoint, leading to a 15-minute penalty. They ended the stage 42 minutes and 41 seconds behind the winners, placing 17th overall and over 5 hours off the lead.

Variawa Battles navigation and terrain

Saood Variawa and co-driver Francois Cazalet faced their own challenges, including getting stuck on camel grass for nearly 10 minutes and suffering a puncture. Navigation issues further compounded their difficulties, resulting in a time loss of 22 minutes and 50 seconds. They are now 9 hours, 3 minutes, and 28 seconds behind the overall leaders, sitting in 33rd place.

Looking ahead

Despite a tough Stage 9, TGR remains optimistic. Stage 10, a relatively short 120km segment, will take competitors to the edge of the Empty Quarter. A 520km liaison precedes the stage, culminating at the Shubaytah bivouac. With three stages remaining, the rally will conclude on Friday, 17 January.

Driver insights:

Henk Lategan: “It was a tough day. We made an early error, got lost, and had a puncture. This was one of our hardest days, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Guy Botterill: “The crash was massive. Rolling nose-over-back in sixth gear was devastating, but it’s a testament to how strong these cars are that we walked away unharmed.”

Seth Quintero: “It was a fast stage where mistakes come easy. The 15-minute penalty was frustrating, but overall, we didn’t lose much time.”

Saood Variawa: “We started strong but got stuck on camel grass and faced tricky navigation. Tomorrow is another day.”

Lucas Moraes: “Navigation was incredibly difficult. We got lost multiple times, but we’ve learned a lot and will push forward.”

Stage 9 results:

1. #200 N. Al-Attiyah / E. Boulanger (The Dacia Sandriders) – 2:52:59
2. #222 G. de Mevius / M. Baumel (X-Raid Mini JCW Team) – +02:47
3. #201 Y. Al Rajhi / T. Gottschalk (Overdrive Racing) – +03:12
4. #226 M. Ekström / E. Bergkvist (Ford M-Sport) – +04:48
5. #210 R. Baciuska / O. Mena (Overdrive Racing) – +07:28
6. #211 H. Lategan / B. Cummings (TGR) – +16:02

Overall standings after Stage 9:

1. #201 Y. Al Rajhi / T. Gottschalk (Overdrive Racing) – 45:06:54
2. #211 H. Lategan / B. Cummings (TGR) – +07:09
3. #226 M. Ekström / E. Bergkvist (Ford M-Sport) – +24:50
4. #204 S. Quintero / D. Zenz (TGR) – +01:46:07
5. #218 S. Variawa / F. Cazalet (TGR) – +09:03:28

For more information and exciting news on the race, click here.