Toyota maintains a double lead in Dakar Rally, French driver ended up in the hospital

Once again, this year’s challenge took its toll in the main category, as Guerlain Chicherit, perhaps better known from the World Rallycross Championship, faced difficulties. The French driver, racing in a Mini, suffered a heavy crash, rolling his car and being forced to retire. Both Chicherit and his co-driver, Alex Winocq, sustained injuries significant enough to rule out any possibility of continuing the rally.

Chicherit suffered from neck pain after the crash and was taken to the hospital for examination. The French driver’s car landed nose-first after a jump and rolled over multiple times.

However, there was also reason to celebrate for Mini on Saturday’s stage, as Belgian driver Guillaume de Mevius claimed victory on the over 600-kilometre stage. Another Mini driver, Joao Ferreira, finished second, ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah, competing in a Dacia.

In the overall standings, South African Henk Lategan in a Toyota remains in first place. With the rally now at its halfway point, the gaps are still relatively small. Yazeed Al-Rajhi, also driving a Toyota and representing the host country, trails Lategan by just over seven minutes. In third place is Swedish driver Mattias Ekström, competing in a Ford.

“It was a little bit of a shaky start to be honest. This morning getting into the first bit of dunes and especially these rough tracks in the dunes was a little bit tricky. We didn’t push really hard, we tried to be safe today, especially with the coming days and the bikes not opening the road, so we don’t really want to be close to the front,” Lategan told.

Five-time Dakar Rally winner Nasser Al-Attiyah is in fourth place, trailing the leader by about half an hour.

“A long stage, we found ourselves opening after 25 or 30 km. The dunes weren’t easy, but we did a great job. If someone else opens tomorrow, it’ll be good for us.”

Dakar Rally after 6/12 stages: