Al-Rajhi commands Dakar lead after Lategan’s stage 9 setback

Lategan in second place with three stages to go, Guy Botterill exits the rally after accident

15 January 2025 - 09:12
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Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings slipped to second place after stage 9 of the 2025 Dakar Rally.
Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings slipped to second place after stage 9 of the 2025 Dakar Rally.
Image: TGRSA

While Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings slipped to second place after stage 9 of the 2025 Dakar Rally, fellow Toyota competitor Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk recorded the third-fastest time of the day, and moved into the overall lead of the race.

For Lategan/Cummings, who opened the stage after their win on stage 8, a navigational error early on set them back. They lost the best part of five minutes before the 37km mark, and also suffered a puncture during this period. After that, they managed to steady the ship, finishing 16min 02sec behind the stage winners.

At the same time, the pair’s nearest competitors, Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk, benefited from a good road position, and made up time on the GR Hilux EVO crew. By the time the dust had settled over stage 9, it was Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk who had moved into the lead of the rally,  7min 09sec clear of Lategan/Cummings, with three stages remaining in the rally.

Guy Botterill, right, and co-driver Dennis Murphy shadowed Lategan/Cummings through much of stage 9.
Guy Botterill, right, and co-driver Dennis Murphy shadowed Lategan/Cummings through much of stage 9.
Image: TGRSA

Guy Botterill and co-driver Dennis Murphy shadowed Lategan/Cummings through much of stage 9, carrying spare parts and tyres in case their teammates needed to make urgent repairs. However, Botterill/Murphy hit a step-up on the route while at full throttle in sixth gear. The car rolled many times and was destroyed in the crash.

The crew escaped injury, but are bitterly disappointed that they won’t be able to continue supporting their teammates.

Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz lost 18min 06sec on stage 9 of the rally, though their time loss was exacerbated by a missed waypoint which cost them 15min in penalties. Had they not incurred the loss, they would have been among the front runners on the stage, but the penalty saw them drop to 1hr 46min 07sec behind the overall leaders, well within the overall Top 10. They are only 1min 19sec behind the crew ahead of them, and will be aiming to make up the deficit over the closing stages of the rally.

Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz lost 18min 06sec on stage 9 of the rally.
Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz lost 18min 06sec on stage 9 of the rally.
Image: TGRSA

A similar fate befell Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleon. The Brazilian driver and his Spanish co-driver missed a waypoint, and also incurred a 15min penalty. Their stage 9 time was 42min 41sec down on the stage winners, and they are in 17th place overall,– 5h 12min 30sec behind the lead.

Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet, in the final GR Hilux EVO, faced setbacks of their own on stage 9. The young driver got stuck on camel grass for nearly 10min and lost more time with a puncture later in the stage. The pair also struggled with the tricky navigation that caught out many competitors today, and as a result they posted a time 22min 50sec down on the stage winners. They are 9h 3min 28sec behind in the overall rankings, provisionally in 33rd place.

Stage 9 was tough for Toyota Gazoo Racing, but the team remains positive. Tomorrow is stage 10 of Dakar 2025, and while its distance is only 120km, the route is set to take the competitors to the edge of the Empty Quarter. A long liaison of 520km will bring the rally to the start of the stage, which is set to finish its final bivouac at Shubaytah. The rally will remain in the Empty Quarter until it reaches its conclusion on January 17.

Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet, in the final GR Hilux EVO, faced setbacks of their own on stage 9.
Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet, in the final GR Hilux EVO, faced setbacks of their own on stage 9.
Image: TGRSA

Post-stage driver quotes

Henk Lategan

“A very difficult day for us. It was not supposed to be so bad, but we made an error right in the beginning. We got lost and had a puncture. I’m a bit disappointed. This was one of our worst days of this Dakar. But it’s still a long way to go, and a lot of race miles to go.”

Guy Botterill

“The impact was huge. We rolled just over 500m, nose over back, sixth gear. I’m devastated for the team, trying so hard. But Dennis and I walked away unharmed. Just shows you how strong and good the cars are. That was a big accident.”

Brazilian driver Lucas Moraes, pictured, and his Spanish co-driver Armand Monleon incurred a 15min penalty on stage 9.
Brazilian driver Lucas Moraes, pictured, and his Spanish co-driver Armand Monleon incurred a 15min penalty on stage 9.
Image: TGRSA

Seth Quintero

“I wouldn’t say it was a tough stage. It was a really, really fast stage. And mistakes come easy when you’re going fast. Some unfortunate accidents today. And yeah, a bummer day for us. We had a good day going and then ended up hitting a waypoint backwards and jumped one. That gave us a 15-minute penalty, which was kind of a bummer. But all in all, we didn’t lose that much time, considering the penalty.”

Seth Quintero said stage 9 was fast and unforgiving.
Seth Quintero said stage 9 was fast and unforgiving.
Image: TGRSA

Saood Variawa

We were really pushing from the start. I think we would have been one of the fastest cars until the first 50kms or so. Unfortunately, we hit sort of a camel grass mound and then we were stuck on the belly plate. It took us nearly 10 minutes or so to get out of it. Then it was really tricky in terms of navigation for the last 50km or so. We’ll see how it goes in the dunes tomorrow.”

Lucas Moraes

“ Every time you think it’s going to be a simple day, it turns out to be the hardest one. It was very tricky for navigation and we got lost three times. It was definitely a day to forget, but at least we learnt a lot and I hope we can push tomorrow.”

• This article was sponsored by Toyota.


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