Carlos Sainz to start seventh in the “48 Hours Chrono” stage

Carlos Sainz to start seventh in the “48 Hours Chrono” stage

04/01/2025

2025 | Archive

Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, at the wheel of the Ford Raptor T1+, finished in seventh position in the first stage of the Dakar Rally, which had its finish in the Saudi town of Bisha, after 413 timed kilometers. Strategies were key at the end of the day, to prepare for tomorrow’s complicated stage, known as the dreaded “48 Hours Chrono”.

The Red Bull driver decided not to give up any more time before the finish line, after suffering a puncture, and will start seventh in the starting order for tomorrow’s long time trial.

Carlos Sainz: “The stage was quite complicated. There were many narrow areas with stones, alternating with others with lots of vegetation. We also suffered a puncture. In the end, it was difficult to decide whether to stop and how long to stop, thinking about tomorrow’s stage. We decided not to stop before the finish, as we lost time on the puncture, and we finished seventh. I would have liked to finish a little further back for the 48-hour stage, but in the end it is what it is, and tomorrow we will try to do a good stage.”

Tomorrow’s stage

BISHA > BISHA (CHRONO 48 Hours)

Link > 45 km – Special > 947 km

Tomorrow presents a double challenge in terms of range and performance, with almost a thousand kilometers to cover over two days in the desert. This innovative 48-hour time trial format will be experienced for the first time in the 2024 edition, with a rule as simple as it is disturbing: at 5:00 p.m., competitors must stop at one of the six rest areas set up along the special stage.

At this stage, it will be difficult to make calculations, as the pilots will be disconnected from the world. There will be plenty of unknowns and conjecture and, to add a special touch, they will enjoy a wonderful night of camping under the stars with their direct rivals.

At dawn the following day, the starting signal will be given at each of the rest areas, so that the drivers can prepare to complete the time trial in the best possible time, while taking care of the mechanics of their vehicles. The stage will be contested on a more varied terrain north of Bisha. Although the dunes here are less imposing, the overall challenge maintains the same degree of complexity. Most of the drivers will face a daily ration of about 100 kilometers of dunes, where the co-drivers will play a crucial role, looking for the opportunity to make a difference.

Stage classification