The Spanish Carlos Sainz (Mini) yesterday won the title of the 42nd edition of the Dakar Desert Rally, which was held in Saudi Arabia for the first time, at the end of the last 12th stage between Haradh and Al-Kadia.

It is the third time that Sainz, 57, has been crowned the Dakar Rally in his professional career after 2010 and 2018.

Sainz imposed his control over the current version from the third stage, where he took the lead and clung to it until the last stage, achieving the first position in four stages, to end the total distance of the rally, which amounted to 7800 km in leadership.

Sainz took advantage of the navigation errors of his direct hunt, Al-Attiyah, who reduced the difference between them to 24 seconds, three stages before the end, to take the first place for the third time in his professional career.

In the beginning, the rally was a competition between the French and Senegalese capitals, to be transferred to South America due to the deteriorating security conditions in Africa, so that the role will now come on the Arabian Peninsula, which will host it in the next four years.

Sainz, the biggest driver crowned the Dakar Rally (the same was also the case in 2018), did not want to confirm his participation in the next version, saying, "When you do something that is a passion for you, it is not easy to stop." Brabeck the title.

Signs entered the history of the rally as the first champion of the competition in the first edition in Saudi Arabia

57

The year of life of the Spanish driver, the largest champion in the history of the rally.