As the storm clouds gathered over the Al Duwadimi bivouac, it became clear that stage seven of the 2025 Dakar Rally was going to be very different.
But nobody could quite have predicted just how much a road book error 158km into the 419km loop stage would turn the event completely on its head.
While the leading podium contenders suffered massive time losses in a 20km section a quarter of the way into the stage, others chose right and were initially rewarded.
But the Dakar organizers elected to neutralize the problematic part of the special, having acknowledged the road book error, which effectively negated the time loss and reset the classification.
A statement midway through the stage from the organizers, ASO, read: “An incorrect road book note at 158km of the special has caused several drivers at the front of the field to lose their bearings.
“A segment of about 20km before and after this point will therefore be delimited at the finish of the car special at the bivouac in Al Duwadimi, erasing any gains or losses made in this part of the stage.”
The re-calculated times after the crews reached the finish then flipped everything. Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Henk Lategan still leads the rally but has seen his near-eight-minute advantage over Overdrive Racing’s Yazeed Al Rajhi chopped to just 21-seconds with five stages remaining.
It wasn't a good day for five-time Dakar winner Al-Attiyah
M-Sport’s Mattias Ekström ended up second on the stage, dropping 7m41s to Lategan’s Toyota team-mate Lucas Moraes, but has consolidated his third place overall, just 10m25s off the lead.
Meanwhile, it was a bad day for Dacia’s Nasser Al-Attiyah, who lost around six minutes to Ekström, leaving the five-time winner provisionally almost 12 minutes adrift in the overall standings.
The resetting of the times ensured that Al Rajhi and Ekström ended the day the biggest winners on a day where navigation was already set to play a crucial role.
Stage seven was another split stage, meaning the bike and car categories drove separate specials. Road opener Guillaume de Mévius (X-raid Mini JCW) had been expected to struggle, but given his lowly overall position, that mattered little.
Described by the organizers as a ‘long and physical’ stage with ‘fiendish navigation’, the special also had a bit of everything, with fast and slow tracks alternating with soft dunes and off-piste sections.
What the ASO didn’t expect was the chaotic scenes around the 158km marker.
At the 138km split, the last before the road book error came into play, Ekström was the highest placed of the podium contenders in fourth, 3m01s off Moraes’ best. He dropped 23 minutes in the 20km section where the bearings were lost, while Al-Attiyah – with whom Ekström was scrapping for third – coughed up a whopping 36 minutes.
Rally leader Lategan had been eighth quickest, 5m31s behind Moraes; despite losing 16 minutes, the South African still fared better than Al Rajhi, whose 31-minute drain temporarily left him susceptible to Ekström for second in the virtual standings.
After reaching the end of the stage, however, the time lost was recalculated. And it spelled bad news for Lategan.
With more dunes on the agenda as the rally heads further towards the vast Empty Quarter this week, Al Rajhi is exactly where he needs to be if he is to become the first Saudi winner of the Dakar Rally.
Neutralization divides opinion among crews
Ford team-mates Ekström (pictured) and Roma disagreed over the organizers' decision
Among the crews, views were split on whether the ASO should have neutralized the 20km stretch where the road book error occurred. Ekström, who suffered the most but who is also one of those with the most to lose in the overall, was happy with the recalculation, despite feeling like a ‘clown’.
“It looked like there was a problem in the road book,” Ekström said post-stage. “We looked like clowns in the circus, so that wasn’t so fun.
“Afterwards we drove as well as we could, but it was quite difficult.”
His M-Sport Ford teammate Nani Roma disagreed.
“It was a tough day; in some places everyone was turning. Now I heard that maybe he [David Castera] will cut this part but for me it’s not fair if it is cut out,” Roma said.
“This is rally raid, this is part of the game; sometimes you gain, sometimes you lose. I don’t know what the FIA will decide but I hope they do not cut this part.”
Moraes wins the stage, but cops one-hour penalty for phone use
Moraes was quickest on stage seven, but is well out of contention
Elsewhere, Lucas Moraes’ rollercoaster event continued. The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver fought back from severe mechanical issues on Saturday to win stage seven but was handed a one-hour penalty and suspended disqualification for a cell phone infringement.
A long stoppage on stage six has put paid to any hopes of repeating his podium finish of two years ago, but Moraes and navigator Armand Monleon still have stage wins and crucial World Rally-Raid Championship points on their minds.
Moraes will keep his fastest time set on the Al Duwadimi loop stage today but was punished after Monleon was captured using a cell phone during the neutralization zone of the special stage.
The stewards’ decision said: “During the hearing, the crew members admitted the fact. They explained that at the neutralisation zone a totally unknow [sic] person approached them and handed over a mobile phone. The navigator declared that in the heat of the race he took it, without realising the possible consequences. [The] navigator apologised, recognizing the mistake.
“The Stewards decide that there is no doubt that, in assessing this situation, it is necessary to take into account where this video footage was captured. It took place in the Neutralisation Zone, Selective Section 5.”
Should Moraes and Monleon commit a similar infringement in the remaining five stages of the rally, the Brazilian three-time Rally dos Sertões winner will not reach the finish on January 17.
Behind Moraes and Ekström, Mitch Guthrie Jr was third on the stage, just under 10 minutes off the pace, with Al-Attiyah a further two minutes back in fourth. Toyota’s Seth Quintero rounded out the top five.
Overall Classification (after stage 7)
1 Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings (Toyota Gazoo Racing) 37h13m08s
2 Yazeed Al Rajhi/Timo Gottschalk (Overdrive Racing Toyota) +21s
3 Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist (M-Sport Ford) +10m25s
4 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Edouard Boulanger (Dacia Sandriders) +21m57s
5 Mitch Guthtie Jr/Kellon Walch (M-Sport Ford) +40m01s
6 Mathieu Serradori/Loïc Minaudier (Century Racing CR7) +54m20s
7 Juan Cruz Yacopini/Dani Oliveras Carreras (Overdrive Racing Toyota) +1h13m05s
8 Seth Quintero/Dennis Zenz (Toyota Gazoo Racing) +1h28m32s
9 João Ferreira/Filipe Palmeiro (X-raid Mini JCW) +1h58m25s
10 Brian Baragwanath/Leonard Cremer (Century Racing CR7) +2h07m38s
