De Mévius & Baumel: A Victory That Means More
When a car wins a stage, it’s always a team effort—but some victories carry far more weight than others. In Yanbu, Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel delivered one of those moments. Already stage winners together in 2024 on their way to an impressive second place overall, the duo tasted something even sweeter this time. Not long ago, there was real doubt they would ever compete side by side again after the French navigator lost his right leg in a serious accident. Their triumph today was not just fast—it was deeply symbolic.
For much of the stage, prologue winner Mattias Ekström looked untouchable. The Swede and his Ford Raptor controlled proceedings with authority, only to slip to fourth at the finish, 1′38″ behind the victorious Mini. A strong showing, but not quite enough.
Hot on De Mévius’ heels was Nasser Al Attiyah, who crossed the line just 40 seconds adrift after the demanding 305 km special. Completing the podium was Martin Prokop, now driving a Ford Raptor prepared by his own private team. Competing in his eleventh Dakar, the Czech driver once again proved that experience and determination still count—and perhaps more than ever.
Sébastien Loeb, meanwhile, had a tougher start to his campaign. Two punctures early in stage 1 forced him to ease off, costing him around three minutes. Still, his tenth-place finish leaves him well positioned to strike back on the road to AlUla, and the nine-time WRC champion remains quietly confident.
It was a very different day for defending champion Yazeed Al Rajhi. The Saudi driver endured a nightmare stage, finishing nearly 29 minutes behind De Mévius after being hit with two penalties totaling 16 minutes—one for missing a waypoint, another for speeding. Having placed a discreet sixth in the prologue, Al Rajhi suddenly finds himself 38th overall, 28′52″ down. A comeback will be difficult, though not impossible. Only days ago, he calmly explained his Dakar philosophy: “There’s no need to attack from the beginning—you need to attack at the right time.” For him, that moment has arrived sooner than expected.
As for Martin Prokop, his podium finish feels like the continuation of a long, quietly impressive journey. Known for consistency rather than headlines, the former WRC driver has never failed to finish a Dakar and has cracked the top 10 five times, including a standout fifth place in 2024. Long a privateer stalwart, Prokop previously ran a self-built prototype he jokingly nicknamed “Shrek.” This year, he stepped up with a 2025 Ford Raptor T1+, developed by his own engineers.
“It’s more agile and lets you go faster,” he said during scrutineering, “but the psychological side will be key. I’m ready to go as fast as the top drivers.”
Judging by his third-place finish in Yanbu—his third stage performance at this level—Prokop may finally have shaken off that last mental barrier. And if so, this Dakar could still have a few surprises in store.
The RacerViews info
By Matt Hancock
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