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Motorsport | Dakar Rally 2025 Stage 11 sets up Down To The Wire Finish

 |  SA Sportspress  |  SA Motorsports
South African champions Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings’ Toyota Gazoo Hilux
South African champions Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings’ Toyota Gazoo Hilux

Six minutes in it, one short stage to race…

Third on Thursday behind Ford men Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist and Nasser Al-Attiyah and Edouard Boulanger’s Dacia, Al Rajhi took nine minutes out of Lategan to move into a six minute eleven second lead with just Friday’s romp across the Empty Quarter dunes between them and victory. Either way, it seems likely that Dakar 2025 will be a South African built Toyota Hilux 1-2.

In other South African news, Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s SA built Century CR7 was in eighth for the day to cement their fifth overall, with Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet’s Gazoo Hilux and Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century provisionally 14th and 15th. Baragwanath looks good for tenth overall and Variawa 17th after both lost considerable time through the course of the race.

Daniel Schröder and South African Henry Köhne’s budget SA-built WCT Amarok had another good day in 18th, while young lady racer Aliyyah Koloc and Sebastien Delaunay were 24th and best of the Red-Lined REVO+ finishers after her splendid eighth on Wednesday.

It’s almost as tense in the Bikes, where second overall, Spaniard Tosha Schareina’s Honda won the day to take six minutes out of overall leader Aussie Daniel Sanders’ advantage on his Red Bull KTM. Schareina took six minutes out of Sanders’ lead as he led teammate Luciano Benavides’ KTM and Honda teammates Adrien van Beveren and Ricky Brabec home on Thursday.

Daniel Sanders on his KTM of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team during the Stage 10 of the Dakar 2025 on January 15, 2025 between Haradh and Subaytah, Saudi Arabia // Florent Gooden / DPPI / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202501150385 // Usage for editorial use only //Daniel Sanders on his KTM of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team

Sanders leads Schareina into the final day by nine minutes with van Beveren, Benavides and Brabec in pursuit. South African survivors Michael Docherty sets off 15th Friday morning, while Dwain Barnard lay 60th and Willem Avenant 86th. Friday’s stage may just be 61 kilometres, but take nothing for granted, it’s across the dunes with just enough time for anything to happen and leads to change. Watch this space!

by Motorsport Media

Issued on behalf of Dakar 2025 Daily Report

What : Dakar 2025 Stage 11 Report
Where : Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia
When : Thursday 16 January 2025
Community : International
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