Toby Price has taken the lead in the Dakar Rally motorcycle marathon going into the final weekend of the great desert race.

The Australian is in pole position to lift his third title in one of the world's most celebrated motorsport events after moving from second into the lead on Friday, opening a mere 28-second gap over American Skyler Howes.

But with just two stages left before Sunday's finish in Dammam, the Red Bull KTM rider's advantage is almost invisible in a Saudi Arabian race which can swing hugely on just one navigational mistake or tumble in the dunes.

It got to the stage where the 35-year-old Price was left shrugging on Friday: "I think that trying to have a strategy for the race at this point in time is completely out of the window.

"We need to try and see if we can make some really good time tomorrow but, then again, you don't want to push too crazily and risk an injury or being out of the race completely this close to the finishing line."

In Friday's 12th stage, a 376km stage route from Empty Quarter to Shaybah, Price and his Australian Red Bull GasGas friend Daniel Sanders had an excellent day.

Sanders finished second on the day, 49 seconds behind Honda's Chilean stage winner Jose Cornejo Florimo, with Price third another one minute nine seconds adrift.