South African off-road champions Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings won the prologue stage of the 2025 Dakar Rally in their locally built Toyota Gazoo Hilux on Friday.
Lategan sat out last year's Dakar due to injury but bounced back in style to beat Sweden's World Rallycross champion Mattias Ekström’s Ford Raptor and Qatari five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah in the Dacia Sandrider.
The 29km prologue took place around the dunes near the Bisha, Saudi Arabia start as the top 10 cars and bikes chose their starting positions for Saturday’s first stage of real racing in the 47th edition of the world's biggest cross-country rally.
Behind them, Lithuania's Rokas Baciuska was fourth in a Hilux from South African Brian Baragwanath in a locally built Century CR7 and French world rallying legend Sébastien Loeb (Dacia).
Brazilian Lucas Moraes (Gazoo Hilux) was next ahead of Nani Roma (Ford Raptor), SA's Saood Variawa (Gazoo Hilux) and Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit (Mini).
Expect to see the top 10 crews starting more or less in reverse order to avoid opening the road on Saturday, though the cars do have the advantage of running behind the bikes on the 413km stage. Dakar 2025, however, features five stages where the cars and bikes race alone, so navigation will be crucial on four wheels this year.
Multiple bike winning legend Aussie Toby Price was 11th on his car debut in a Hilux.
The 2025 Dakar Rally will have 12 desert stages covering more than 5,000km of racing.
SA’s Lategan fastest in 2025 Dakar Rally prologue stage
Image: Supplied
South African off-road champions Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings won the prologue stage of the 2025 Dakar Rally in their locally built Toyota Gazoo Hilux on Friday.
Lategan sat out last year's Dakar due to injury but bounced back in style to beat Sweden's World Rallycross champion Mattias Ekström’s Ford Raptor and Qatari five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah in the Dacia Sandrider.
The 29km prologue took place around the dunes near the Bisha, Saudi Arabia start as the top 10 cars and bikes chose their starting positions for Saturday’s first stage of real racing in the 47th edition of the world's biggest cross-country rally.
Behind them, Lithuania's Rokas Baciuska was fourth in a Hilux from South African Brian Baragwanath in a locally built Century CR7 and French world rallying legend Sébastien Loeb (Dacia).
Brazilian Lucas Moraes (Gazoo Hilux) was next ahead of Nani Roma (Ford Raptor), SA's Saood Variawa (Gazoo Hilux) and Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit (Mini).
Expect to see the top 10 crews starting more or less in reverse order to avoid opening the road on Saturday, though the cars do have the advantage of running behind the bikes on the 413km stage. Dakar 2025, however, features five stages where the cars and bikes race alone, so navigation will be crucial on four wheels this year.
Multiple bike winning legend Aussie Toby Price was 11th on his car debut in a Hilux.
The 2025 Dakar Rally will have 12 desert stages covering more than 5,000km of racing.
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