Dakar Rally 2025: 48H Chrono completed as Sainz retires
7th January 2025The Dakar Rally has completed the 48H Chrono, which spanned two days for the second stage in 2025 and included some big moments, such as Carlos Sainz’s roll on the first half of the stage.
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48-Hour Chrono returned for this year’s event which started on the second stage of the iconic desert event. Spanning over two days, classed as 2A and 2B, the competitors travel nearly 1,000km over 48 hours.
The crews set off and drive as far as possible before stopping at the furthest bivouac they can reach, stopping their competitive time before restarting when they leave the next morning. Competitors are cut off from the world with the basics to survive in the desert conditions at night with survival rations and shelter in tents.
Carlos Sainz had one of the big moments in the first half of the stage as the Spaniard, and defending Dakar winner rolled his Ford Raptor on a dune. He was able to get help to roll the car back onto its wheels, albeit without the rear bodywork.
However, at the end of the second stage, Sainz was forced to retire from the event due to the damage sustained in the roll.
Sainz’s fellow WRC world champion, Sebastien Loeb, suffered technical issues on the 2A stage with electrical problems. The crew lost time but at the end of the stage, they recovered and finished sixth overall.
Due to damage the safety cage of vehicle #225 (@CSainz_oficial, Lucas Cruz) sustained during the accident in the first part of the 48h Chrono of the 2025 @dakar and in line with @fia regulations, it has been decided to retire the vehicle. pic.twitter.com/AghF8klJmO
— Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) January 6, 2025
Red Bull KTM’s Daniel Saunders continues to lead the Bike class with an overall time of 16 hours, 10 minutes and 31 seconds. However, the remaining top three have changed slightly as Ricky Brabec of Monster Energy Honda drops down the order to fifth, replaced by his teammate Skyler Howes. Ross Branch of Hero Motorsports Team rounds out the top three.
Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings, Toyota Gazoo Racing, lead the car category with an overall time of 15 hours, 40 minutes and 30 seconds. Overdrive Racing’s Yazeed Al Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk, and The Dcia Sandriders Nasser Al-Attiyah and Edouard Boulanger complete the overall class top three, in second and third respectively.
Sebastien Loeb Racing’s Xavier de Soultrait and Martin Bonnet remain the SSV-class leaders with his teammate, Brock Heger and Max Eddy (the stage 2 winners), completing a provisional one-two for the team. Old Friends Rally’s Alexandre Pinto and Bernardo Oliveira occupy third.
Defending Dakar winner, Martin Macik leads his MM Technology crew at the top of the Truck standings alongside crewmembers Frantisek Tomasek and David Svanda. Instatrade Loprais Team remains MM Technology’s closest competitor, just over eight minutes behind, with Ales Loprais, David Kripal and Darek Rodewald. 38 minutes off the pace stands third-placed Vaidotas Zala, Paulo Fiuza and Max Van Grol for Skuba Team de Rooy FPT.
For stage three of the event, the remaining crews will move away from Bisha where the first and second stages were completed in its southern and northern regions respectively. The Dakar competitors will head towards Al Henakiyah over a 327km special stage.
Read more Rally Raid here:
- Dakar Rally 2024 – Stage 10: Alula loop maintains the title fight
- Dakar Rally 2024 – Stage 6: 48H Chrono completed
- Dakar Rally – Stage 5: Tackling Empty Quarter dunes as 48H Chrono looms
- Dakar Rally – Stage 4: Loeb returns to the top
- Dakar Rally – Stage 3: Sunderland retires as Giroud returns to winning ways
- Dakar Rally – Stage 2: Al-Attiyah returns to form as trucks struggle
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
