The pilot had overturned on the second stage which he then managed to finish. However, the damage reported was too much
The first twist of this Dakar 2025 arrives around 9.30pm local time on Monday 6 January, while the bivouac is already in the throes of preparations for the start of stage 3 which involves a transfer of 700 km also for the teams assistance. With a few lines the Ford team announces the retirement of Carlos Sainz. For last year’s winner, the 2025 edition lasted just three days. “We knew that this 48-hour stage would be decisive. It was for us, of course, and for others too, but that’s the way things are. That’s how it went, it was our turn and perhaps it was a very tough start to the rally.”
the accident
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The accident at km 327 of the first part of the 48-hour stage for his Ford Raptor was decisive. The Spanish driver managed to finish but once he reached the bivouac in Bisha it was found that the problems with the protective roll-cage were such that he could not continue in line with the FIA regulations relating to safety. Team Ford, making its debut in its factory lineup, thus loses its standard bearer. Nani Roma, his teammate, also encountered many problems and for a moment feared retirement, but for the moment the race continues. In the evening, the announcement of Cristina Gutierrez’s retirement from the ranks of Dacia also arrived. However, the Spaniard will continue not in the standings to help her teammates.