The 2025 Dakar Rally continues to deliver high drama and fierce competition as the convoy reaches the halfway point. Stage 5, a grueling 428 km special from AlUla to Ha’il, pushed competitors to their limits, with standout performances across categories.
Ultimate Class
American Seth Quintero etched his name in Dakar history, securing his second stage win of 2025 and becoming the youngest driver with multiple Ultimate class victories. Despite challenges in earlier stages, the 22-year-old climbed to ninth overall. Meanwhile, five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah moved up to fourth, overcoming a 10-minute penalty for a flat tire. South African Henk Lategan maintained his lead, with Sweden’s Mattias Ekström holding third.
Bike Category
Argentine Luciano Benavides clinched his first stage win of the edition, narrowing the gap to overall leader Daniel Sanders to just over 24 minutes. Spanish teenager Edgar Canet impressed with three Rally2 class stage wins, placing in the top 10 overall.
Challenger and SSV Classes
Portuguese driver Gonçalo Guerreiro cut leader Nicolas Cavigliasso’s overall advantage to under 30 minutes in the Challenger class. In SSV, Chilean Francisco López secured his second stage win in three days, setting the stage for an exciting second half.
With a rest day in Ha’il tomorrow, competitors will regroup before tackling the remaining stages of the rally.
2025 Dakar Rally Overall Standings After Stage 5:
Ultimate Class
- Henk Lategan (ZAF) – 28:10.11
- Mattias Ekström (SWE) +20.54
- Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) +35.00
Challenger Class
- Nicolas Cavigliasso (ARG) – 30:38.42
- Gonçalo Guerreiro (POR) +28.34
SSV Class
- Brock Heger (USA) – 31:48.54
Bike Category
- Daniel Sanders (AUS) – 30:20.15
- Luciano Benavides (ARG) +24.15
Racing resumes Saturday with Stage 6 from Ha’il to Al Duwadimi.
Source: Redbull Content Pool
This article was crafted with assistance from Chatgpt
