Disability is no hindrance to success

Rewind 8,000 kilometers and two weeks to the very first stage in Yanbu, and there was a very special winner. Dakar’s five-time winning navigator, Mathieu Baumel, returned to the top step just 12 months after an accident that nearly cost him his life.

While attending the Monaco Historic Rally, Baumel stopped to assist a stranded crew at the roadside and was struck by another car. After being placed in an induced coma, the difficult decision was taken to amputate his right leg.

Undeterred, Baumel set his sights firmly on a Dakar return. Sitting alongside Guillaume De Mevius, the X-Raid Mini pairing claimed a sensational victory on the opening stage. “I have received a lot of messages and people tell me that I am an inspiration for them,” said the Frenchman. “To lead the Dakar at the end of the first day was something really amazing.”

Five different manufacturers win a stage

In one of the most competitive editions in recent memory, the 2026 Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia saw five different brands — and nine different drivers — win the 13 stages in T1 Ultimate class.

A new route, an impressive entry list, and finely balanced strategies combined to make this year’s Dakar one of the most unpredictable ever. Lead changes continuously fluctuated from day to day, making it almost impossible to identify a clear overall favorite.

After Guillaume De Mevius claimed the opening stage for X-Raid Mini, further stage victories followed for Seth Quintero, Mitch Guthrie, Henk Lategan, Nasser Al-Attiyah, Mattias Ekström, Saood Variawa, Eryk Goczal, and Mathieu Serradori, representing Toyota, Ford, Dacia, and Century.

Defender makes a successful debut

A notable new entrant in the Stock class this year was the British car marque Defender. Having secured the services of Dakar legend Stéphane Peterhansel, Jaguar Land Rover ran three D7X-Rs as part of the first phase of a three-year campaign on the world’s toughest motorsport event.
“Dakar is the absolute Everest of off-road motorsport,” said Jack Lambert, Head of Technical Integration for Defender Rally and JLR Motorsport, who oversaw the finish of all three machines.

The D7X-R adopts the same transmission and driveline layout as the Defender OCTA road car, but regulations limit power output, with the 4.4-litre V8 turbo producing less than the road-going model’s 635ps. The most significant adaptation is the upgraded cooling package, designed to cope with the extreme ambient temperatures of the Saudi desert.

Al-Attiyah achieves a memorable Dakar win

Qatari star Nasser Al-Attiyah secured his sixth Dakar victory, delivering outright success for the Dacia Sandriders team on just their second appearance at the Saudi Arabian event. The win adds to Al-Attiyah’s previous triumphs in 2011, 2015, 2019, 2022, and 2023. On the penultimate stage, he recorded his 50th Dakar stage victory, drawing level with legends Stéphane Peterhansel and Ari Vatanen.

Co-driven by Fabian Lurquin — who becomes the first Belgian navigator to win the car category at the Dakar — Al-Attiyah is now within two wins of the outright record held by Peterhansel. He finished 9m42s ahead of the Ford of Nani Roma, while Mattias Ekström, also in a Ford Raptor, finished a further five minutes behind.

Success for Saudi entrants

Despite last year’s winner Yazeed Al-Rajhi sadly retiring with a mechanical failure on Stage 4, with his early running blighted by punctures, Saudi representation remained strong in the Challenger class.

Yasir Seaidan, partnered by co-driver Xavier Flick for Nasser Racing Team, finished second overall in class to take a well-deserved podium. Further back, Dania Akeel (Odyssey Academy by BBR) enjoyed another impressive Dakar, securing eighth overall in the Challenger category. Both she and Seaidan scored a number of top three finishes in individual stage classifications throughout the event.

New route produces an exciting finish

A revised route for 2026, featuring marathon stages and fewer service opportunities, showcased Saudi Arabia’s remarkable terrain and delivered closely fought contests across all categories. Nowhere was this more evident than in the bike class, where the overall victory was decided on the final day.

While changes to the roadbook and route transformed this Dakar into more of a sprint, consistency proved decisive. All eyes were on reigning champion Daniel Sanders, who battled on heroically despite breaking his collarbone in a crash in the dunes on Stage 10.

In the end, KTM rider Luciano Benavides edged out Honda rival Ricky Brabec by just two seconds to claim a sensational Dakar Rally victory — the closest ever finish in the event’s storied history.

Prince Khalid sets his sights on a Dakar entry

The seventh running of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia was arguably the most spectacular yet, and it has inspired HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation and Saudi Motorsport Company, to target a future Dakar entry himself.

After competing in the Ha’il Rally last year, Prince Khalid confirmed plans to continue building experience behind the wheel, with Dakar firmly on his horizon.

“It was a nice experience, and it’s not going to be the last rally I do. I have a really strong desire to do Dakar. Definitely I will. I’s on my bucket list as one of those things you want to do in your life. I’m really looking forward to it and mentally and physically, I going to start preparing for it. My goal is to cross the finish line but I need more time behind the wheel,” he explained. “This year I’m planning to do two more rallies. I was shocked because the last car I drove was a Pajero, and this time I drove the Toyota Hilux Ultimate. The car was totally different. It’s amazing how advanced technology is.”