South African racer Henk Lategan has reclaimed the Dakar Rally lead following the conclusion of the challenging 48-hour chrono stage. His Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate Rokas Baciuška achieved his first stage victory at age 25 after time recreditation due to faulty refueling.

Current standings show Yazeed Al Rajhi in second place, while Nasser Al Attiyah holds third despite a 4-minute speeding penalty, sitting 11m14s behind the leader. Sebastien Loeb recovered from overheating issues to secure sixth place, 18m56s off the pace.

American Mitch Guthrie maintains ninth position in his Ford Raptor, 23m33s behind the leader. Defending champion Carlos Sainz Sr.'s hopes diminished after losing 90 minutes due to a rollover and subsequent damage.

In the SSV category, American Brock Heger claimed the stage win, while Xavier de Soultrait leads overall with a 5m14s advantage. The Challenger class saw Dutchman Paul Spierings take an unexpected stage victory, with Nicolas Cavigliasso maintaining the overall lead.

On motorcycles, Australian Daniel Sanders extended his lead to 12m36s, with American Skyler Howes of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing moving into second place. Fellow American Ricky Brabec now sits fifth overall after placing eighth in the chrono stage.

Stage 3 will take competitors from Bisha to Al Henakiyah, featuring a technical 327km special stage and a 521km liaison route. The course begins with challenging technical sections, particularly for motorcyclists, before transitioning to higher-speed terrain.

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