High-Octane Start: Toyota's Henk Lategan Takes Dakar Rally Prologue

Henk Lategan of Toyota emerged victorious in the Dakar Rally car prologue in Saudi Arabia, just ahead of Mattias Ekstroem and champion Nasser Al-Attiyah. The 29km prologue, key for Saturday's race positioning, saw Lategan excel despite prior injuries. Motorcycle and car standings showed intense competition.

In an exhilarating opening to the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, Toyota's Henk Lategan clinched the top spot in the car prologue on Friday. Lategan outpaced Ford M-Sport's Mattias Ekstroem by just one second, followed by Nasser Al-Attiyah of the Dacia Sandriders team, 19 seconds behind.

The 29-kilometer prologue near Bisha does not count towards the overall rally classification but crucially determines the starting order for Saturday's challenging 413km stage. Lategan, who returned after missing the previous year's rally due to a shoulder injury, found his rhythm early despite a few driving errors.

In the motorcycle category, Australian Daniel Sanders took the lead in the standings for Red Bull KTM. However, Indian rider Harith Noah withdrew due to a wrist injury, marking an early but dramatic shake-up in the competition landscape.

(With inputs from agencies.)