Dakar 2025: Toyota edges out Ford and Dacia as Lategan wins Prologue

Manufacturing facility Toyota motive force Henk Lategan beat Ford rival Mattias Ekstrom to take victory in Prologue at first of the 2025 Dakar Rally.

The forty seventh version of the arena’s greatest cross-country rally kicked off with a brief 29km particular in Bisha in south west area of Saudi Arabia, with a complete of 64 automobiles lining up within the Final class.

Whilst all eyes had been on Ford and Dacia as they made their full-fledged debuts in Dakar, incumbent Toyota stole the limelight by means of scoring a slim win with its confirmed Hilux T1+.

Representing the South African department of Toyota Gazoo Racing, Lategan finished the prologue in 15m28.06s on his go back to Dakar after a one-year hiatus, beating the Ford Raptor of former DTM and International Rallycross champion Mattias Ekstrom by means of simply 1.3s.

Each drivers eclipsed the early benchmark set by means of Dacia newcomer Nasser Al-Attiyah, who was once first to take the beginning line and set a time of 15m48.4s within the lead Sandrider.

Debutant Rokas Baciuska installed a cast effort in a buyer Toyota entered by means of Overdrive, completing fourth and only a 2d adrift of Al-Attiyah after a take a look at that featured a mixture of dust observe, gravel and sand.

Brian Baragwanath rounded off the highest 5 for Century Racing, whilst nine-time International Rally champion Sebastien Loeb got here house in 6th for Dacia.

Lucas Moraes and Saood Variawa had been categorized 7th and 9th respectively for Toyota, sandwiching the Ford of two-time Dakar winner Nani Roma.

#231 Overdrive Racing Toyota: Toby Value, Sam Sunderland

Photograph by means of: Pink Bull Content material Pool

Guerlain Chicherit took tenth position on his transfer to X-Raid Mini, finishing up 42s down at the time set by means of pacesetter Lategan.

Making his debut on 4 wheels, ex-KTM megastar Toby Value recorded the Eleventh-fastest time with a overdue effort on his Overdrive Toyota, completing simply two seconds at the back of Chicherit.

Seth Quintero and Man Botterill may best set up fifteenth and seventeenth respectively aboard their manufacturing unit Toyotas, separated by means of the last-remaining Dacia of Cristina Gutierrez.

Protecting Dakar champion Carlos Sainz additionally made a low-key begin to the 2025 tournament, wounding up twenty fourth on his debut for Ford.

The highest 10 drivers in Prologue might be in a position to make a choice their beginning positions for the primary complete degree, which may even happen in Bisha and canopy a timed distance of 412km.

Not like within the motorcycles class, occasions from Prologue may not be added to the respective tallies of drivers in automobiles. Then again, completing positions outdoor the highest 10 will nonetheless be utilised for figuring out the beginning order for Saturday’s particular.