Toyota Gazoo Racing driver Seth Quintero wins Dakar Rally's 1st stage

Race officials credit Quintero with 95 seconds as he briefly stopped to help Laia Sanz after her crash

By Can Erozden

Toyota Gazoo Racing's US off-road racing driver Seth Quintero has been declared the winner of the 2025 Dakar Rally Stage 1 held on Saturday.

French driver Guerlain Chicherit was the provisional winner in Saudi Arabia's Bisha in car category as he claimed the 413-kilometer (256-mile) opening stage with 50 seconds to spare over Quintero.

Chicherit (X-Raid MINI JCW) was initially timed at 4 hours, 35 minutes and 53 seconds.

Later, the Dakar Rally confirmed that Quintero was promoted to the winning spot of Stage 1 as the US driver stopped to help Century Racing Factory Team's Laia Sanz, who had a crash.

"Seth Quintero was credited 95 seconds at the finish, accounting for his brief stop to assist Laia Sanz after the Catalan driver crashed at km 330. This puts the Californian 45 seconds ahead of Guerlain Chicherit and makes him the actual winner of the stage," the Dakar Rally said on its website.

Meanwhile, Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) from Australia won the Dakar Rally Stage 1 in bike as he finished with a time of four hours, 41 minutes and 27 seconds.

His US opponent Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) came in second in Bisha as Brabec was 2 minutes and four seconds behind Sanders.

Botswana's Ross Branch (Hero) was third.

The 947-kilometer Stage 2, a 48-hour chrono stage, will be held in Bisha on Sunday and Monday.

The 2025 Dakar Rally will end with Stage 12 on Jan. 17 in Saudi Arabia's Shubaytah.

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