YANBU, Saudi Arabia — Nasser Al Attiyah added a new line to his legend in the car category, winning the Dakar for the sixth time. He is now halfway between Ari Vatanen (four victories) and Stéphane Peterhansel (eight in cars).
He also opened Dacia’s account in the rally, dispatching the Ford Raptors of Nani Roma and Mattias Ekström, with Sébastien Loeb finishing just outside the podium for the first time in his career.
“The race has never been so wide open in the history of the Dakar,” declared the top drivers in unison, facing an unprecedented field of champions and machines in the 48ᵗʰ edition.
The unanimity of this verdict adds even more weight to the 2026 title, which adds a sixth Bedouin trophy to Al Attiyah’s cabinet. This win carries all the more weight for having been secured through a master class in control from start to finish. It was a model of composure, a near-flawless strategy and a battle plan worthy of Alexander the Great, built around two decisive days on which it was crucial to secure the ideal start position.
Stage 6, a 300 km sea of dunes, is where the architect laid the first stone of his foundation. Al Attiyah began the return leg to Yanbu at the helm of an elite field that was indeed tighter than ever (the top 5 squeezed into just 12 minutes at the rest day). Of course, he had to hold his own through the second marathon stage, but on the day following that delicate test he placed the capstone atop the monument.
2ⁿᵈ in the stage, behind Mathieu Serradori, Al Attiyah made the decisive break. To add the finishing touches, the maestro of the tracks charged towards Yanbu to claim the penultimate stage for glory and history. His record-equalling 50ᵗʰ special win places him alongside the giants Ari Vatanen and Stéphane Peterhansel. Michelangelo would have been proud!
The podium spots behind the Dacia Sandrider no. 299 also turned into a game of musical chairs in the final days. Henk Lategan, runner-up to Al Rajhi in 2025, was the last chance to see a Toyota Hilux at the summit, but a mechanical issue sank him in stage 11. A rear wheel hub bearing gave way at the worst possible time, just as he was attempting to erase his 12-minute deficit to Al Attiyah.
Ever-present throughout the Dakar, with six specials won over fourteen days of racing, the Ford Raptors always had at least one car in the top 3. On the eve of the finish, already in Yanbu, Nani Roma produced a heroic effort to salvage his 2ⁿᵈ place in extremis, after breaking his front end and receiving help from several crews to reach the bivouac on time.
The battle for the 3ʳᵈ step of the podium went down to the wire, with Mattias Ekström forced to defend his position over the final 105 km against Sébastien Loeb, whom he led by only 29 seconds. The Swede did more than simply retain the podium spot he had secured in 2025, finishing his Dakar exactly as he had started it in the Yanbu prologue: with a victory. The Frenchman, meanwhile, completed the Dakar outside the top 3 for the first time, 37 seconds shy of the podium.
A little further back, but with gaps that have never been so narrow at the finish, the Toyotas had to settle for the final three spots in the top 10, with Toby Price 8ᵗʰ at 52 minutes, Seth Quintero 9ᵗʰ at 1 h 15 and Saood Variawa 10ᵗʰ at 1 h 23.
Meanwhile, Mathieu Serradori once again claimed the 6ᵗʰ place he had taken last year, this time with a stage win to boot. Among his former two-wheel-drive companions, the battle of the MD Rallye Optimus buggies was won by Simon Vitse (14ᵗʰ) ahead of Christian Lavieille (20ᵗʰ).
This year, the Stock class saw the arrival of the manufacturer Defender, whose debut ended in victory. The Lithuanian Rokas Baciuška proved fastest, reaching Yanbu nearly four hours ahead of his teammate Sara Price, while the Toyota Land Cruisers held their own, with Ronald Basso finishing 3ʳᵈ in the final standings. Stéphane Peterhansel completed his 36ᵗʰ Dakar in 4ᵗʰ place in the Stock class after struggling more than usual.
