Dacia Triumphs at Dakar Rally 2026: Nasser Al-Attiyah Secures Sixth Title

Dacia’s Sandrider claimed victory in the gruelling 2026 Dakar Rally car category, with Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Fabian Lurquin crossing the finish line first after 48 hours, 56 minutes, and 53 seconds of intense competition. This marks Dacia’s maiden Dakar win and Al-Attiyah’s sixth overall, bringing him within two of the record held by Stéphane Peterhansel. The rally, often called the Paris-Dakar despite its Saudi Arabian location since 2020, tested over 400 vehicles across 12 stages totalling more than 5,000 kilometres.

Rally Route and Challenges

The 48th edition started on January 3 in Yanbu, featuring rocky trails, vast sand dunes, and technical navigation in Saudi Arabia’s harsh deserts. Key stages included a 400km loop from Yanbu to AlUla on Day 2, featuring mountainous terrain, and marathon stages 4 and 5 without service, forcing teams to rely on self-sufficiency. Competitors faced attrition from mechanical failures, navigation errors, and penalties, with early leaders such as Toyota and Ford fading due to inconsistent performance.

Path to Victory

Al-Attiyah seized control on Stage 6 with his first win, briefly losing the lead on Stage 9 before reclaiming it decisively. Ford’s Nani Roma mounted a challenge, but Al-Attiyah extended his advantage to over 12 minutes by Stage 12, cruising to a 9-minute-42-second margin on the short final stage. All four Dacia Sandriders finished in the top 11, showcasing the team’s dominance and equaling Al-Attiyah’s 50 career stage wins.

Final Car Category Standings

Position	Driver/Co-Driver	Team/Vehicle	Time/Gap to Leader
1	Nasser Al-Attiyah / Fabian Lurquin	Dacia Sandrider	48h56m53s
2	Nani Roma	Ford Raptor	+9m42s
3	Mattias Ekström	Ford Raptor	+14m33s

This victory highlights Dacia’s rapid rise in rally-raid, with its first win in its second full season, boosting the Romanian brand’s global motorsport prestige. Al-Attiyah praised the team’s effort: “We are very happy… This victory was the result of outstanding teamwork.”

Team Performance Highlights

Nasser Al-Attiyah and Fabian Lurquin led the charge to a commanding victory in 48h56m53s, clinching Dacia’s first Dakar title. Yet, Dacia had more drivers in the category: teammate Sébastien Loeb, with Édouard Boulanger, fought back from early punctures to finish a strong 4th, just 15 minutes behind. Brazilian Lucas Moraes, paired with Dennis Zenz, took 7th at +47m50s, while Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno rounded out the effort in 11th, proving the Sandrider’s reliability across the gruelling Saudi desert stages.

All four Dacia entries completed the 5,000+ km rally, a testament to the team’s preparation and the Romanian brand’s rally-raid prowess on their second full outing.