The 2025 Dakar Rally has served up an opening week like nothing off-road fans have witnessed before with a 48-hour Chrono Stage and a two-day unassisted Marathon Stage.

The competitors who remain were rewarded with a well-earned day of rest on Friday.

Here are the most intriguing facts and figures from the first week in Saudi Arabia:

-American racer Seth Quintero is no stranger to making history at the Dakar Rally after the former Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team driver won an amazing 12 of the 13 stages in the Challenger class at the 2022 Dakar.

The Californian native has rewritten the history books again by becoming the youngest ever driver to win a pair of Ultimate stages, thanks to Saturday and then Thursday wins aged just 22. He admitted: Rest Day is not my favorite day. Id rather just keep it going and see what happens.

-The tricky terrain often sees high-profile competitors exit early with defending car champion Carlos Sainz and three-time runner-up Sébastien Loeb retiring along with Spaniard Laia Sanz her first retirement in 15 Dakar attempts.

They have all been as a result of the FIA determining their roll cages sustained too much damage after their cars flipped.

-Australian biker Daniel Sanders has been in determined mood during the opening week. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider followed up his victory on the Prologue with Stage 1, 2 and 4 wins to arrive at the Rest Day with a lead of over 15 minutes. The 30-year-old revealed: The aim for Rest Day is to just chill out a bit. Get some good sleep and good food. A bit of a massage would be good, maybe a swim. Anything that can help to loosen me up a bit.

-One of the most popular racers inside and outside of the bivouac is Dania Akeel. The Saudi Arabian driver has fans all over her homeland and they have cheered her on to fifth place in the Challenger class at Rest Day, which means she looks set to beat her best ever finish of eighth overall.

-Challenger race rookie Gonçalo Guerreiro admitted that he had never driven anything like the 48-hour Chrono Stage before. The Portuguese driver spent over 12 hours racing against the clock to post the fourth fastest time in class and the new recruit to the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team is second overall, just 28m34s behind leader Nicolas Cavigliasso.

-After covering 3,560km in the first week, the remaining distance in the second week is even greater as there is a further 4,245 kilometers to cover with all roads leading to the Empty Quarter desert. After stops in Al Duwadimi, Riyadh and Haradh, it will be among Saudi Arabias most formidable sand dunes that this latest 47th edition of the Dakar Rally will ultimately be won and lost by the Jan. 17 finish in Shubaytah.

-After 2,559 kilometers of specials covered by the bikes and 2,579 by the cars and trucks, 299 vehicles have reached the rest day in Hail in the heart of Saudi Arabia. 118 bikes (including 100 Rally 2), 58 Ultimate cars, 2 Stock, 45 Challenger cars, 33 SSV and 43 trucks will resume racing on Saturday for the seven stages remaining before the final finishing line in Shubaytah, in the Empty Quarter. 81 vehicles have been able to use a joker to remain in the race, while 36 have been forced into premature exits (i.e., 10.75%).

At the midway point, the rankings are dominated by Daniel Sanders in the Rally GP class; Edgar Canet in the Rally 2 class; Henk Lategan in the Ultimate class; Nicolas Cavigliasso in the Challenger class; Brock Heger in the SSV category; and Martin Macik in the truck race, all of whom are under the age of 36 years.

The rejuvenation of the discipline is underlined by the records for youthful promise beaten by Seth Quintero and then Saood Variawa, respectively aged 22 and 19 years and both stage winners, as well as the early departures from the rally by Carlos Sainz and Sébastien Loeb.