AFP
South African Saood Variawa became the youngest stage winner at the Dakar Rally, with the 19-year-old winning the day for the Toyota Gazoo factory team in the top car category.
Variawa, in a Toyota, finished 33 seconds ahead of Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit in a Mini.
He, along with Seth Quintero and Rokas Baciuska all three Ultimate stage winners at this year's Dakar who are 25 or younger.
Variawa is currently 41st, 7 hours 47 minutes 11 seconds behind after losing eight hours the day before following a head-on collision with team-mate and compatriot Giniel de Villiers.
Another South African Toyota driver, Henk Lategan retained the overall lead after finishing 12th on the day, 7mins 31sec behind Variawa.
???? With Saood Variawa's stage victory at just 19 years old, he becomes the youngest ever stage winner in the car category.
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 7, 2025
???? So along with Seth Quintero and Rokas Baciuška all three Ultimate stage winners at this year's Dakar are 25 or younger.
???? The new generation is here,… pic.twitter.com/84qNOwm4dX
Meanwhile, former winner Sebastien Loeb was forced to withdraw from the Dakar Rally after a crash on Tuesday, denying the Frenchman his dream of a first title in the event.
The nine-time World Rally champion went off the road 12 kilometres into the 327km stage between Bisha and Al Henakiyah in Saudi Arabia.
After a nasty bounce his Dacia performed several impressive rolls, which seriously damaged the vehicle.
The 50-year-old and his Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin set off again after a five-minute stop for repairs, but struggled throughout the rest of the stage.
Race officials later said the damage sustained to the car meant that Loeb could not continue, forcing him to pull out of the race for a third time.
"Following an inspection by the FIA's technical stewards, the crew is not authorized to start Stage 4," read a post on the Dakar Rally's X account.
Loeb, who has finished second three times in the Dakar Rally, ended the stage in 4 hours 20 minutes 12 seconds, more than an hour behind the day's winner, 19-year-old South African Saood Variawa.
"We were able to continue but suddenly the steering rod broke, I think because of the rollover," said Loeb earlier in the day at the finish.
"Then we had a problem with the engine overheating. We tried to finish the stage. We managed to do so, but we lost an hour.
"It wasn't the kind of day we prefer. We lost an hour and we got the feeling that we were in 'it' up to our necks. But it is what it is."
Reigning champion Carlos Sainz had retired on Monday after his Ford Raptor flipped, damaging its roll bar.
With rain forecast, the stage was shortened from the original 496km.
In the motorbike competition, Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino, riding a Sherco and making his seventh appearance in the Dakar Rally, won a stage for the first time.
Australian Daniel Sanders still leads the overall standings.
The Rally through Saudi Arabia ends on January 17 in the Empty Quarter desert.
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© Agence France-Presse
