Dania Akeel: "I love driving in the dunes"

Dakar 2025 | Stage 10 | HARADH > SHUBAYTAH
January 15 ^th 2025 - 17:17 [GMT + 3]

Dania Akeel trounced the opposition in today's Challenger special. Competing on home soil, the Saudi driver posted the fastest time, finishing over three minutes ahead of Pau Navarro. This makes her only the fourth woman to win a stage of the Dakar, joining the ranks of Jutta Kleinschmidt, Cristina Gutiérre, and Sara Price. As if that were not enough, Akeel and her Taurus also charged to third place overall in the stage, finishing within two minutes of Nani Roma!
 

"We started at the back because we'd had some bad days before… There were a lot of cars on the road, but you know, on the dunes it's a little bit easier to pass because you don't have any dust… I'm very happy, I really had a great day, very relaxed, I just wanted to have a great time… We have to check some things in the car because I didn't feel the car was very comfortable in the dunes… I love driving in the dunes, it reminds me of [steering] a boat in the water because of the way you have to jump around the waves."