Saturday’s brutal 604 km Dakar Stage 6 from Ha’il to Al Duwadimi delivered several twists, turns and surprises, but not much changed in the overall rankings as South African champions Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings’ Toyota Gazoo Hilux continued to lead the way into the second week.
It was a great day for Mini as Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel led teammates Joao Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro home in a fine 1-2. Third overall Nasser Al-Attiyah and Edouard Boulanger’s Dacia Sandrider, another South African Gazoo Hilux crew, Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy and Saudi home hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk’s Hilux were next from the similar cars of Lithuanians Rokas Baciuska and Oriol Mena, and leader Lategan.
The day started with Botterill and Murphy leading De Mévius, Al-Rajhi and Lategan. Al-Rajhi had a scare when he needed an extra tyre, but Toyota water carriers Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet were soon along to hand him a spare as Botterill led de Mevius and Ferreira. Al Rajhi soon jumped back to third at the stage midway liaison break. De Mevius, picked up the running after he led Al Rajhi, Ferreira and Attiyah after Botterill lost ten minutes to drop to fifth at around the day’s 500 km mark.
De Mevius ultimately took the day from Ferreira in a Mini 1-2, from Attiyah, Botterill, Al-Rajhi, Baciuska and Lategan Ford Raptor crews, factory duo Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist and privateers Martin Prokop and Viktor Chytka followed. South African crews, Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century CR7 was provisionally 14th on the day from Variawa and Cazalet, Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz’ Gazoo Hilux in 20th. Dutch crew Ronald Van Loon and Erik Lemmen were best of the Red-Lined REVO+ entries, while Daniel Schröder and Henry Köhne’s WCT Amarok hit trouble.
Overall, Toyota remains in control of Dakar 2025. Lategan leads Al Rajhi by 7 minutes 15 seconds with Ekstrom 20 minutes adrift in third, and Attiyah half an hour off the pace. US youngster Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch sit fifth in their Ford Raptor ahead of French duo Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s South African Century CR7. Brian Baragwanath is tenth overall, Giniel de Villiers 15th and Variawa and Botterill 23rd and 24th after their earlier troubles. All eyes will now be on how far they can all progress through Sunday’s 419 km loop around Al Duwadimi, and on to the finish on Friday.
2025 Dakar Rally selected overall standings after Stage 6
Ultimate
1. Henk Lategan (ZAF) 32:51.36
3. Mattias Ekström (SWE) +22.27
4. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) +30.25
5. Mitch Guthrie Jr. (USA) +50.16
8. Seth Quintero (USA) +1:36.37
13. Rokas Baciuška (LTU) +3:27.44
14. Lucas Moraes (BRA) +3:34.56
15. Guillaume De Mévius (BEL) +3:43.43
16. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF) +3:51.23
24. Toby Price (AUS) +6:29.38
44. Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP) +37:46.22
47. Nani Roma (ESP) +65:23.04
Challenger
1. Nicolas Cavigliasso (ARG) 35:57.59
2. Gonçalo Guerreiro (POR) +35.02
4. Pau Navarro (ESP) +1:57.08
7. Corbin Leaverton (USA) +4:05.26
SSV
1. Brock Heger (USA) 37:21.01
3. Francisco López (CHL) +1:47.27
Bike
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS) 35:18.49
6. Luciano Benavides (ARG) +30.08
10. Edgar Canet (ESP) +1:16.59
