Yazeed Al-Rajhi is set to win the Dakar Rally on home soil in the Saudi desert after retaking the lead from South Africa’s Henk Lategan.

Ford secured its second straight stage win at the Dakar Rally on Thursday, with Mattias Ekstrom (pictured above) following up Nani Roma's Stage 10 win by besting Nasser Al-Attiyah -- his rival for the final podium place -- by 41 seconds on the dunes of

Henk Lategan and Yazeed Al-Rajhi will duel in the Saudi sand for their first Dakar Rally title after swapping the lead for a second straight day.

Yazeed al-Rajhi took the overall lead in the car standings at the Dakar Rally after finishing third in Thursday's decisive penultimate stage.

Sunday's Stage 7 loop around the Al Duwadimi bivouac saw confusion cloud the front of the Ultimate class due to an incorrect note in the roadbook. The leading group, including Nasser Al-Attiyah and Guillaume De Mévius,

Henk Lategan and Yazeed Al-Rajhi will duel in the Saudi sand for their first Dakar Rally title after swapping the lead for a second straight day Wednesday. South Africa's Lategan leads his Saudi rival by 2 1/2 minutes going into the 11th and penultimate stage in the Empty Quarter dunes.

Local driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi closed to within a minute of leader Henk Lategan in the cars category for the 2025 Dakar Rally. Here's all the highlights from what was a huge day in the Dakar in Saudi Arabia.