Dacia Sandriders Lead Dakar Rally 2026 at Rest Day
As the dust settles on the dunes for the official Dakar Rally Rest Day, the Dacia Sandriders have taken control of international motorsport’s toughest test. The team has set the pace in the opening round of the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship with grit and precision.
The team arrived in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital, on Friday, 9 January, after covering 3,636 kilometres. The Dacia Sandriders hold first, sixth, 10th and 13th positions in the current overall ranking after a spectacular 1-2 finish on Stage 6.
Seven stages remain, with a further 4,343 kilometres still to run. The team will face relentless pressure as it pursues victory in the Dakar Rally across demanding desert terrain in Saudi Arabia.
Nasser Al-Attiyah and Fabian Lurquin led after Stage 2 on Monday. They slipped to 10th on Tuesday after a double tyre deflation. They responded with a second-fastest time on Wednesday and then delivered a decisive stage win on Friday. That result put them back in first overall by 6 minutes and 10 seconds.
Al-Attiyah now sits one stage win away from equalling the record of 50 Dakar Rally stage wins jointly held by Stéphane Peterhansel and Ari Vatanen. By winning Stage 6, the Qatari driver has registered a stage victory on 19 consecutive editions of the Dakar Rally. He has extended his existing benchmark and reinforced his consistency at 55.
Sébastien Loeb and Édouard Boulanger have work to do in week two after making seven enforced tyre changes across the opening six stages. Even so, they delivered a crucial result on Friday by securing the 1-2 stage finish for The Dacia Sandriders. They hold sixth overall.
World champion Lucas Moraes has shown his potential in his team debut. He has also started his first event alongside new-for-2026 navigator Dennis Zenz. The pairing has posted two top-four stage times so far and sits 10th overall after week one despite earlier issues.
Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno came within 11 seconds of a new personal best stage result of fourth on Tuesday before tyre damage cost them. They responded strongly and will start the final week well inside the top 15 overall classification.
Given the challenging terrain of the Dakar Rally, the Dacia Sandriders worked closely with their technical partner, BFGoodrich, to prevent tread punctures. The team had seen tread punctures affect previous editions of the event and focused on tyre preservation and durability for 2026.
Philip Dunabin, Technical Director of The Dacia Sandriders, explained: “We knew from previous editions of the rally that there were certain stages that were really difficult in terms of punctures. In past years, there have been many tread punctures, and the development work has focused on resolving the problem. We have been working with BFGoodrich in Morfor for quite a while to develop a new tyre offering better cornering, grip, and resistance to tread punctures.
“In this year’s Dakar, we haven’t had any tread punctures at all. The only punctures we’ve had have been in the sidewall, which are particularly prone to the cars sliding sideways and catching rocks. It could be that sidewall reinforcement becomes the next focus, while being mindful not to hamper performance, but there’s also an element of how much precaution the driver takes. While you can’t adjust your speed to avoid tread punctures, you can adjust your speed to avoid sidewall punctures.”
Stage 1 (Yanbu to Yanbu, Sunday 4 January) saw Al-Attiyah / Lurquin charge through the first 305 timed kilometres in Saudi Arabia as the second quickest crew. Loeb / Boulanger ran as high as second but suffered two damaged tyres and dropped to 14th. They fought back to finish Stage 1 in 10th. Moraes began his FIA World Rally-Raid Championship title defence and his first Dakar Rally week with The Dacia Sandriders, finishing 11th alongside Zenz. After completing Saturday’s prologue second of The Dacia Sandriders’ quartet, Gutiérrez / Moreno ensured all four crews finished Stage 1 in the top 15 despite a damaged tyre.
Stage 2 (Yanbu to AlUla, Monday 5 January) delivered a landmark moment as The Dacia Sandriders led the Dakar Rally for the first time in its short history. Al-Attiyah / Lurquin traded speed for caution through rocky sections and set the eighth-best time from second on the road. Loeb/Boulanger also chose a measured approach after punctures on Stage 1 and went seventh-fastest to climb from 10th to fifth overall. Moraes/Zenz suffered tyre damage and a mechanical issue near the finish, and finished 13th after two stages. Gutiérrez / Moreno completed a trouble-free day and maintained 15th overall.
Stage 3 (AlUla to AlUla, Tuesday 6 January) featured strong performances from Moraes/Zenz and Gutiérrez/Moreno. They set the fourth- and fifth-fastest times, respectively, and held sixth and seventh overall. Gutiérrez / Moreno lost a potential personal best after a punctured tyre but still came within 11 seconds of their previous benchmark and climbed from 15th. Al-Attiyah / Lurquin started strongly while running second on the road but suffered two damaged tyres at the 330-kilometre mark and dropped to 10th. Loeb/Boulanger stopped twice to change tyres in the opening 100 kilometres, then adopted an ultra-cautious approach after depleting their spares. Loeb reported driving at “20 per cent” to complete the 421-kilometre timed route.
Stage 4 (AlUla to Refuge Marathon, Wednesday 7 January) saw Al-Attiyah / Lurquin post the second fastest time to move from 10th overall to the provisional runner-up spot. Hanging dust and a damaged tyre slowed them earlier in the day, but they cut the gap significantly. They moved from 11m39s behind on Tuesday evening to 3m55s from the lead. Loeb / Boulanger climbed from 12th to eighth overall by going fifth quickest and led the day classification at the first time check. They then adopted a cautious approach after a double deflation at the 130-kilometre mark depleted their spare tyres again. Moraes/Zenz recorded the 21st-fastest time and sat 12th overall after tyre damage and a challenging road position. Gutiérrez / Moreno reached the refuge point 10th overall after their high starting position shaped the stage.
Stage 5 (Refuge Marathon to Ha’il, Thursday 8 January) kept the pressure high. Al-Attiyah / Lurquin closed the gap while holding second overall and moved from 3m55s adrift of first to within 3m17s. They ran second on the road to limit time loss, but a two-minute penalty for inadvertently exceeding the speed limit in a controlled zone cost them. Moraes / Zenz ran strongly for long sections, held third on the stage for large chunks, and finished fourth quickest despite dust from cars ahead. They climbed from 12th overall to seventh. Loeb/Boulanger finished Stage 5 12th fastest and stayed eighth overall despite earlier tyre-related delays. Gutiérrez / Moreno suffered tyre damage, lost time in hanging dust, and finished 14th.
Stage 6 (Ha’il to Riyadh, Friday 9 January) turned the rally again. Al-Attiyah / Lurquin went quickest by nine seconds after 162 kilometres and extended their advantage to 47 seconds at the 186-kilometre time check. They kept building momentum and led by 1m50s at 248 kilometres. They secured the stage win by 2m58s and converted a 3m17s deficit into an overall lead of 6m10s. Loeb / Boulanger completed a historic 1-2 for The Dacia Sandriders, its first on the Dakar Rally and third in the W2RC, despite changing a damaged tyre during the stage. Moraes/Znz fought their way from a fourth-place starting position to finish 16th and kept a top-10 overall position. Gutiérrez / Moreno switched to a supporting role for Al-Attiyah / Lurquin, posted the 15th quickest time, and moved from 14th to 13th overall.
The Dakar Rally provisional overall results after Stage 6 (unofficial) place Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Fabian Lurquin (BEL) first on 24h18m29s. Sébastien Loeb (FRA) / Édouard Boulanger (FRA) hold sixth at +17m36s. Lucas Moreas (BRA) / Dennis Zenz (GER) sit 10th at +26m46s. Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP) / Pablo Moreno (ESP) finished 13th at +33m45s.
A total of 4,343 kilometres now sit between The Dacia Sandriders and the finish of the 48th Dakar Rally in Yanbu on Saturday, 17 January. The team remains in control on the Rest Day, but it must protect tyres, manage pace, and execute cleanly to convert its Dakar Rally lead into overall success.
Following the Rest Day in Riyadh, week two of the 2026 Dakar Rally begins on 11 January. The route will feature mainly sandy but relatively fast tracks, with occasional dense bush lining the course, as the event heads south to Wadi ad-Dawasir during another long day in the desert. Stage distance: 462km. Liaison distance: 414km. Total distance: 876km.
