Nasser Al-Attiyah retook the lead of the 2026 Dakar Rally by winning the sixth stage between Ha'il and Riyadh, completing the 326 timed kilometers in 3h38'28" with a 2'58" advantage over Sébastien Loeb. Both are driving the Dacia Sandrider developed by Prodrive, and Al-Attiyah now leads Henk Lategan by 6'10" in the overall standings.
The gap between the top 10 is 26'46", the smallest at this point in the rally since 2006, when only 11'26" separated Giniel de Villiers from the tenth-placed driver in the last African edition before the move to South America. Nani Roma occupied that tenth place two decades ago and is now third, while Carlos Sainz was second in 2006 and is now fourth. No edition in Saudi Arabia (2020-2025) or South America (2009-2019) had seen such a tight standings table upon reaching the rest day.
Photo By A.S.O
Al-Attiyah's victory has double importance: the mandatory rest day starts tomorrow in Riyadh, and he regained the lead on dune terrain. The second week includes several stages with deep sand, where the five-time champion has built his five Dakar titles thanks to his ability to read wind direction and anticipate sand consistency, a considerable advantage over competitors who may be faster on other surfaces or in pure navigation.
First 1-2 for Dacia
Sébastien Loeb attacked in the last 150 kilometers of the stage when other drivers began managing tires or navigation, moving from eighth place at the intermediate waypoints to second in the day's final times. It's his first stage podium since Dakar 2024, and in the overall standings he climbed two places to sixth, 17'36" behind Al-Attiyah.
The 1-2 in the stage is the first for Dacia in its two years participating in the rally and confirms the Sandrider's competitiveness. Seth Quintero finished third for Toyota alongside his teammate Toby Price in fourth, while João Ferreira, who had commanded the early waypoints, lost positions in the final third and finished fifth. The three official team Hilux maintain a presence in the overall top 10, although Lategan lost ground compared to his previous days' lead.
Photo By A.S.O
Ford Keeps Three Drivers in Top Five Despite Losing Time in Dunes
Nani Roma is third overall, 9'13" behind Nasser Al-Attiyah, regaining the provisional podium spot he hasn't held since 2019, while Carlos Sainz occupies fourth place at 11'49" and Mattias Ekström is fifth at 12'11". The three official team Raptors are separated by only 2'36", a compact formation that contrasts with the problems they had on the stage where Roma finished sixth and Sainz seventh without being among the five fastest at any intermediate checkpoint.
Ford lost time to Dacia and Toyota in the dunes but retains three drivers with a mathematical chance to fight for the title in the second week, as Sainz's gap to Al-Attiyah is recoverable over seven stages if there are mechanical problems or navigation errors in the leading group. The upcoming dune stages favor Al-Attiyah, who has won his five titles on that type of terrain. Mitch Guthrie maintains seventh overall, 16'13" behind the leader.
Photo By A.S.O
Five Different Winners in Six Stages Completed
The first week saw five different winners in six stages and as many different leaders of the overall classification at some point, with Nasser Al-Attiyah leading stages 1 and 2, Henk Lategan taking control in stages 3, 4 and 5, and now Al-Attiyah retaking the lead just before the rest day.
Toyota has two drivers in the top 10 (Lategan second, Seth Quintero ninth at 26'32"), Dacia places three (Al-Attiyah, Loeb, Lucas Moraes tenth at 26'46"), and Ford lines up another three (Roma, Sainz, Ekström) in a distribution showing the balance between the three main manufacturers. Mathieu Serradori was eighth on the stage with the Century CR7, Guy Botterill ninth with his Hilux, and Eryk Goczal tenth with another Hilux from the Energylandia team, rounding out a top 10 separated by 7'19" that indicates an even pace among the top vehicles.
The Dakar 2026 has completed six of 13 total stages, and the remaining seven include the event's longest special (462 kilometers between Riyadh and Wadi Ad-Dawasir) and several sections with dunes where Al-Attiyah has historically demonstrated superiority, considering he views the desert as his natural terrain and his experience reading the sand gives him an advantage when other competitors struggle with traction or navigation in deep dunes.
Photo By A.S.O
Casale Gets First Win in Challenger
Ignacio Casale achieved his first stage win in the Challenger category, beating Dania Akeel by 38 seconds, thus adding a new chapter to his versatility in the Dakar where he has three quad titles (2014, 2018, 2020) and truck experience with a ninth place in 2021 and 2022. This time he is competing with the Taurus T3Max from BBR Motorsport.
Pau Navarro continues to lead the Challenger classification while Casale is sixth, 1h53' back, a scenario that contrasts with the drop of Yasir Seaidan who had led stages 3 and 4 but lost 45 minutes due to mechanical problems that forced him to stop, falling out of the provisional podium. Yazeed Al Rajhi retired early on, and Dania Akeel has accumulated several setbacks preventing her from fighting for the podium.
Photo By A.S.O
Second Week Starts Sunday with 462-Kilometer Special
The Dakar 2026 has its only rest day this Saturday in Riyadh, where teams will access assistance trucks, tools, and full mechanics to service their vehicles before the seventh stage is run on Sunday with 462 timed kilometers between Riyadh and Wadi Ad-Dawasir, the longest special so far, combining dunes and fast tracks.
Photo By A.S.O
Seven stages remain to decide a standings that so far has no clear favorite, considering Al-Attiyah has experience and speed in dunes, Lategan showed solidity in mixed stages, and Ford can exert numerical pressure with three drivers close together. The leadership change favors Al-Attiyah because he regained the lead just as the stages with more sand begin, the terrain where he has built his reputation as the most complete dune reader in modern rally raid and where the second week will determine if this advantage on sand translates into a sixth Dakar title.
Dakar Rally 2026 - Etapa 6
| Pos | Nº | Pilotos | Clase | Equipo | Vehículo | Tiempo | Diferencia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #299 |
N. AL-ATTIYAH
F. LURQUIN
|
Ultimate
|
The Dacia Sandriders | DACIA SANDRIDER | 3:38:28 | — |
| 2 | #219 |
S. LOEB
E. BOULANGER
|
Ultimate
|
The Dacia Sandriders | DACIA SANDRIDER | 3:41:26 | +0:02:58 |
| 3 | #203 |
S. QUINTERO
A. SHORT
|
Ultimate
|
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING W2RC | TOYOTA HILUX GR | 3:41:47 | +0:03:19 |
| 4 | #204 |
T. PRICE
A. MONLEON
|
Ultimate
|
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING W2RC | TOYOTA HILUX GR | 3:42:47 | +0:04:19 |
| 5 | #240 |
J. FERREIRA
F. PALMEIRO
|
Ultimate
|
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING SA | TOYOTA HILUX IMT EVO | 3:43:24 | +0:04:56 |
| 6 | #227 |
N. ROMA
A. HARO
|
Ultimate
|
FORD RACING | FORD RAPTOR | 3:43:59 | +0:05:31 |
| 7 | #225 |
C. SAINZ
L. CRUZ
|
Ultimate
|
FORD RACING | FORD RAPTOR | 3:45:01 | +0:06:33 |
| 8 | #214 |
M. SERRADORI
L. MINAUDIER
|
Ultimate
|
CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM | CENTURY CR7 | 3:45:34 | +0:07:06 |
| 9 | #218 |
G. BOTTERILL
O. MENA
|
Ultimate
|
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING SA | TOYOTA HILUX IMT EVO | 3:45:36 | +0:07:08 |
| 10 | #205 |
E. GOCZAL
S. GOSPODARCZYK
|
Ultimate
|
ENERGYLANDIA RALLY TEAM | TOYOTA HILUX | 3:45:47 | +0:07:19 |
| 11 | #228 |
M. GUTHRIE
K. WALCH
|
Ultimate
|
FORD RACING | FORD RAPTOR | 3:47:11 | +0:08:43 |
| 12 | #202 |
H. LATEGAN
B. CUMMINGS
|
Ultimate
|
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING W2RC | TOYOTA HILUX GR | 3:47:55 | +0:09:27 |
| 13 | #226 |
M. EKSTRÖM
E. BERGKVIST
|
Ultimate
|
FORD RACING | FORD RAPTOR | 3:48:18 | +0:09:50 |
| 14 | #213 |
S. VARIAWA
F. CAZALET
|
Ultimate
|
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING SA | TOYOTA HILUX IMT EVO | 3:48:58 | +0:10:30 |
| 15 | #212 |
C. GUTIERREZ
P. MORENO
|
Ultimate
|
The Dacia Sandriders | DACIA SANDRIDER | 3:51:01 | +0:12:33 |
| 16 | #223 |
L. MORAES
D. ZENZ
|
Ultimate
|
The Dacia Sandriders | DACIA SANDRIDER | 3:51:20 | +0:12:52 |
| 17 | #209 |
M. GOCZAL
D. ORTEGA
|
Ultimate
|
ENERGYLANDIA RALLY TEAM | TOYOTA HILUX | 3:51:44 | +0:13:16 |
| 18 | #236 |
R. DUMAS
A. WINOCQ
|
Ultimate
|
RD LIMITED | FORD RAPTOR | 3:54:17 | +0:15:49 |
| 19 | #206 |
M. GOCZAL
M. MARTON
|
Ultimate
|
ENERGYLANDIA RALLY TEAM | TOYOTA HILUX | 3:56:28 | +0:18:00 |
| 20 | #221 |
M. PROKOP
V. CHYTKA
|
Ultimate
|
ORLEN JIPOCAR TEAM | FORD RAPTOR | 3:56:29 | +0:18:01 |
| 21 | #217 |
D. KROTOV
K. ZHILTSOV
|
Ultimate
|
M-SPORT RALLY RAID TEAM | FORD RAPTOR | 3:56:38 | +0:18:10 |
| 22 | #314 |
I. CASALE
C. SACHS
|
Challenger
|
BBR MOTORSPORT | TAURUS T3MAX | 3:58:57 | +0:20:29 |
| 23 | #234 |
S. VITSE
M. DELFINO
|
Ultimate
|
MD RALLYE SPORT | OPTIMUS MD RALLYE | 3:59:04 | +0:20:36 |
| 24 | #301 |
D. AKEEL
S. DELAUNAY
|
Challenger
|
ODYSSEY ACADEMY BY BBR | TAURUS T3MAX | 3:59:35 | +0:21:07 |
| 25 | #407 |
X. DE SOULTRAIT
M. BONNET
|
SSV
|
LOEB FRAYMEDIA MOTORSPORT – RZR FACTORY RACING | POLARIS RZR PRO R | 3:59:53 | +0:21:25 |
| 26 | #232 |
L. SANZ
M. GERINI
|
Ultimate
|
EBRO AUDAX MOTORSPORT | EBRO S800 XRR | 4:00:04 | +0:21:36 |
| 27 | #347 |
K. BENAVIDES
L. SISTERNA
|
Challenger
|
ODYSSEY ACADEMY BY BBR | TAURUS T3MAX | 4:00:37 | +0:22:09 |
| 28 | #259 |
Y. TAO
L. FU
|
Ultimate
|
JJ-SPORT | JJSPORT JJ3 T1+ | 4:01:52 | +0:23:24 |
| 29 | #416 |
K. CHANEY
J. ARGUBRIGHT
|
SSV
|
CAN-AM FACTORY TEAM | BRP CAN-AM MAVERICK R | 4:02:00 | +0:23:32 |
| 30 | #224 |
B. BARAGWANATH
L. CREMER
|
Ultimate
|
CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM | CENTURY CR7 | 4:02:21 | +0:23:53 |
| 31 | #402 |
C. LOPEZ
Á. LEÓN
|
SSV
|
CAN-AM FACTORY TEAM LATAM | BRP CAN-AM MAVERICK R | 4:02:27 | +0:23:59 |
| 32 | #300 |
N. CAVIGLIASSO
V. PERTEGARINI
|
Challenger
|
VERTICAL MOTORSPORT | TAURUS EVO MAX | 4:03:12 | +0:24:44 |
| 33 | #404 |
G. GUERREIRO
M. JUSTO
|
SSV
|
LOEB FRAYMEDIA MOTORSPORT – RZR FACTORY RACING | POLARIS RZR PRO R | 4:03:34 | +0:25:06 |
| 34 | #408 |
J. MONTEIRO
N. MORAIS
|
SSV
|
CAN-AM FACTORY TEAM | BRP CAN-AM MAVERICK R | 4:04:43 | +0:26:15 |
| 35 | #302 |
P. KLAASSEN
A. SANZ
|
Challenger
|
KTM X-BOW POWERED BY G RALLY TEAM | GRALLYTEAM G-ECKO | 4:05:03 | +0:26:35 |
| 36 | #401 |
B. HEGER
M. EDDY
|
SSV
|
LOEB FRAYMEDIA MOTORSPORT – RZR FACTORY RACING | POLARIS RZR PRO R | 4:05:09 | +0:26:41 |
| 37 | #336 |
P. NAVARRO
J. ROSA
|
Challenger
|
ODYSSEY ACADEMY BY BBR | TAURUS T3MAX | 4:06:40 | +0:28:12 |
| 38 | #220 |
W. HAN
L. MA
|
Ultimate
|
212 HANWEI MOTORSPORT | HAN WEI MOTORSPORT HWM T1+ | 4:10:23 | +0:31:55 |
| 39 | #230 |
C. LAVIEILLE
V. SARREAUD
|
Ultimate
|
MD RALLYE SPORT | OPTIMUS MD RALLYE | 4:11:08 | +0:32:40 |
| 40 | #231 |
F. JUBANY
M. SOLA
|
Ultimate
|
MD RALLYE SPORT | OPTIMUS MD RALLYE | 4:11:55 | +0:33:27 |
| 41 | #222 |
G. DE MÉVIUS
M. BAUMEL
|
Ultimate
|
X-RAID TEAM | MINI JCW RALLY 3.0I | 4:12:56 | +0:34:28 |
| 42 | #239 |
S. AL QASIMI
K. ALKENDI
|
Ultimate
|
SVR | TOYOTA HILUX IMT EVO | 4:13:25 | +0:34:57 |
| 43 | #243 |
B. LU
H. SHA
|
Ultimate
|
JJ-SPORT | JJSPORT JJ3 T1+ | 4:13:30 | +0:35:02 |
| 44 | #210 |
H. GARCÉS
J. LATRACH
|
Ultimate
|
OVERDRIVE RACING | TOYOTA HILUX | 4:18:42 | +0:40:14 |
| 45 | #247 |
T. CORONEL
T. CORONEL
|
Ultimate
|
TEAM Coronel | CENTURY CR7 | 4:20:03 | +0:41:35 |
| 46 | #237 |
M. MORAES
F. PEDROSO
|
Ultimate
|
SVR | TOYOTA HILUX IMT EVO | 4:22:56 | +0:44:28 |
| 47 | #267 |
M. MUSTERMANN
M. ZAJC
|
Ultimate
|
MM Rallye | TOYOTA HILUX | 4:23:37 | +0:45:09 |
| 48 | #242 |
M. ZAPLETAL
M. SYKORA
|
Ultimate
|
OFFROADSPORT | FORD 150 EVO | 4:24:10 | +0:45:42 |
| 49 | #235 |
R. CHABOT
G. PILLOT
|
Ultimate
|
OVERDRIVE RACING | TOYOTA HILUX | 4:26:48 | +0:48:20 |
| 50 | #270 |
K. ALJAFLA
A. RUDNITSKI
|
Ultimate
|
SVR | TOYOTA HILUX IMT EVO | 4:27:26 | +0:48:58 |
New co-driver for Sainz in the Ford Raptor of the W2RC
Korhonen wins WRC2 at Rally Sweden 2026
Elfyn Evans wins in Sweden and leads the WRC championship
Katsuta leads Evans by 2.8 seconds at the close of Friday's Rally Sweden
Dacia ends its Dakar Sandrider program at the end of 2026
Carlos Sainz loses his navigator Lucas Cruz
Nasser Al-Attiyah wins the 2026 Dakar Rally with Dacia
Nasser Al-Attiyah wins penultimate stage of Dakar 2026
Lategan loses four hours in Stage 11 of the Dakar Rally, leaving Toyota with no chance of victory
Al-Attiyah regains Dakar lead with 12-minute advantage
Nani Roma leads the 2026 Dakar Rally with a 57-second lead over Sainz
