The Dacia Sandriders team reached the official rest day of the Dakar Rally in a strong position, after setting a consistent pace in the event that opens the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship.
After covering 3,636 kilometers, the team arrived in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Friday (9), holding first, third, sixth and tenth places in the provisional overall standings.
The performance gained further significance following an impressive result in the sixth stage, when the Sandriders secured a 1–2 finish that consolidated the team’s lead. With seven stages and another 4,343 kilometers still to come, the battle remains wide open, leaving no room for complacency.
Leading the overall classification is Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, alongside navigator Fabian Lurquin. The pair had taken the lead after the second stage, but dropped to tenth on Tuesday due to two punctures. They bounced back in the following days, setting the second-fastest time on Wednesday and winning the sixth stage, which was enough to regain the lead with a margin of 6 minutes and 10 seconds.
With this result, Al-Attiyah moves closer to a historic milestone: he is one stage win away from equaling the record of 50 Dakar stage victories, currently shared by Stéphane Peterhansel and Ari Vatanen. The win in the sixth stage also marked the 19th consecutive Dakar in which the driver has won at least one stage, extending a personal record that highlights his consistency at the age of 55.
Another key name in the team, Sébastien Loeb, is competing alongside navigator Édouard Boulanger. After being forced into seven tire changes across the first six stages, the duo still has ground to recover in the second week, but currently sits sixth overall, boosted by the team’s first- and second-place finishes on Friday.
Brazilian world champion Lucas Moraes is making his competitive debut with the Dacia Sandriders and shares the car with navigator Dennis Zenz, in their first partnership for the 2026 season. Despite early setbacks, the pair has already shown its potential by posting two top-four stage times and ends the first week in tenth place overall.
Completing the team quartet, Spaniards Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno also reacted after early difficulties. After finishing just 11 seconds short of a personal best stage time and suffering tire damage, the duo recovered and begins the final week positioned within the top 15 of the overall classification.
As the event enters its decisive phase, the Dacia Sandriders keep four competitive cars in contention and remain one of the main protagonists of Dakar 2026, in a contest that promises intensity right through to the final kilometer.
+ Ukrainian intelligence reveals details of the Russian Geranium-5 kamikaze drone
Source and images: Dacia. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
