Al Rajhi makes history as first Saudi driver to win home Dakar Rally
The 47th Dakar Rally concluded with 175 vehicles completing the grueling 7,828 km (4,864 miles) route through Saudi Arabia. Among the finishers were 77 bikes, 40 Ultimate cars, 1 Stock car, 21 Challengers, 23 SSVs, and 13 trucks.
Men celebrate on race car hood
Yazeed Al Rajhi made history as the first Saudi driver to win the Ultimate class, beating factory teams in his Overdrive Racing Toyota with a 3m57s lead. Henk Lategan finished second, while Mattias Ekstrom secured third place for Ford Raptor.
In the SSV category, American Brock Heger dominated from Stage 4 onwards, winning by 2h6m over "Chalaco" Lopez. This victory maintained Polaris's grip on the crown.
Driver interviewed beside racing car
Daniel Sanders delivered KTM's 20th Dakar triumph in the bike category, leading from start to finish - a feat not achieved since Marc Coma in 2009. Honda secured second and third places with Tosha Schareina and Adrien Van Beveren respectively.
In the Challenger class, Nicolas Cavigliasso and Valentina Pertegarini dominated throughout, finishing with over an hour's lead. Portuguese driver Gonçalo Guerreiro took second place, 1h11m38s behind the winners.
The rally saw 108 vehicles forced into early retirement, while 52 vehicles completed the course using their jokers, highlighting the event's challenging nature.
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