Nineteen-year-old Saood Variawa of South Africa became the youngest top-class driver to win a stage in the Dakar Rally.

The third stage of the Dakar Rally 2025, which is being held in Saudi Arabia for the sixth consecutive year, started Tuesday and will continue until January 17. Competitors began the stage in Bisha Governorate and will finish in Al Hanakiyah,

(Reuters) -Nine-times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb is out of the Dakar Rally after he rolled his Dacia in the Saudi desert on Tuesday as the race continued to take a toll of the big names after the exit of 2024 winner Carlos Sainz.

Lithuanian driver Rokas Baciuška has proved he’s a contender in the Dakar Rally after winning the longest stage in the Saudi Arabia desert.

Sebastien Loeb struggled to complete Stage 3 of the Dakar Rally on Tuesday after rolling his car near the start, a setback that is likely to cost him his dream of a first title in the event. The nine-time World Rally Champion went off the road 12 kilometres into the 327-stage between Bisha and Al Henakiyah.

BISHA, Saudi Arabia-- ( BUSINESS WIRE )-- Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters - Hero MotoCorp, has successfully completed the second stage at the Dakar Rally 2025 that featured the notoriously challenging 48H Chrono this year at the world’s toughest rally.

Australian Daniel Sanders opened the 2025 Dakar Rally with a commanding victory in the prologue, setting the fastest time on the 29-kilometer sprint around Bisha, The Victorian, who also won the prologue in 2022, clocked an impressive 16m52s, finishing 12 seconds ahead of Botswanan Ross Branch.

Local driver Yazeed Al Rajhi stormed back into the Dakar Rally's leading threesome when he dominated the fourth stage in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Al Rajhi started 18th in Al Henakiyah and was in front by the first time check in volcanic terrain and never headed on the 415-kilometer (258-mile) course north through canyons to AlUla.