THE DACIA SANDRIDERS TAKES A REST AS THE DAKAR RALLY’S BEST

As the dust settles on the dunes for the official Dakar Rally Rest Day, The Dacia Sandriders, in a masterclass of grit and precision, has seized control of international motorsport’s toughest test, setting the pace for the opening round of the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship.

Arriving in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh on Friday 9 January, after covering 3,636 kilometres, The Dacia Sandriders holds first, sixth, 10th and 13th positions in the current overall ranking, following a spectacular 1-2 finish on Stage 6.

With seven stages and a further 4,343 kilometres remaining, there will be no respite for the team as it continues its pursuit of victory.

Leading after Stage 2 on Monday, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Fabian Lurquin slipped to 10th following a double tyre deflation on Tuesday. Undeterred, they fought back with a second fastest time on Wednesday, and a standout stage win on Friday to reclaim their first place overall by 6 minutes 10 seconds.

Al-Attiyah is now one stage 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, a feat that extends his existing benchmark and underlines his stunning consistency at the age of 55.

Having made seven enforced tyre changes in the opening six stages Sébastien Loeb and Édouard Boulanger have ground to make up on during week two. Despite this, the pair, who secured a 1-2 stage finish for The Dacia Sandriders on Friday, holds sixth place overall.

World champion Lucas Moraes, who is making his competition debut for the team and his first start alongside new-for-2026 navigator Dennis Zenz, has underlined his potential with two top-four stage times so far. Despite earlier issues, the pairing has finished week one in 10th position.

After coming within 11 seconds of achieving a new personal best stage result of fourth on Tuesday, following tyre damage, Spaniards Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno rebounded strongly and will start the final week well inside the top 15 overall classification.

DEMANDING TERRAIN CALLS FOR EXTRA TYRE PRESERVATION EFFORTS
Given the hugely tough nature of the Dakar Rally terrain, The Dacia Sandriders worked closely with technical partner BFGoodrich to eradicate instances of tread punctures, which had been an issue on previous editions of the event.

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 a lot of tread punctures and most of the development work was concentrated around resolving the problem. We started working quite a while ago with BFGoodrich in Morocco to decide on a new construction of tyre, which is better in terms of comfort for the driver, better in terms of its grip and performance, plus added resistance for 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.”

THE DACIA SANDRIDERS: DAKAR RALLY KEY MOMENTS SO FAR
Stage 1 (Yanbu to Yanbu, Sunday 4 January): While Al-Attiyah / Lurquin charge through the first 305 timed kilometres in Saudi Arabia as the second quickest crew, Loeb / Boulanger are less fortunate. Having run as high as second, they suffer two damaged tyres and drop to 14th, before they battle back to complete Stage 1 in 10th. Moraes begins his FIA World Rally-Raid Championship title defence, and life as a driver for The Dacia Sandriders, with the 11th fastest time alongside navigator Zenz. After completing Saturday’s prologue second of The Dacia Sandriders’ quartet, Gutiérrez / Moreno ensure that the team’s four crews all finish Stage 1 in the top 15, despite a damaged tyre.

Stage 2 (Yanbu to AlUla, Monday 5 January): The Dacia Sandriders leads the Dakar Rally for the first time in its short history with Al-Attiyah / Lurquin on top after they trade speed for caution through the challenging rocky sections to set the eighth best time from second on the road. Delayed by two punctures on Stage 1, Loeb / Boulanger also adopt a cautious approach, going seventh fastest to climb from 10th to fifth in the overall order. Moraes/Zenz are delayed by tyre damage and a mechanical issue nearing the stage finish. They hold 13th place after two stages. Slowed by tyre damage on Stage 1, Gutiérrez / Moreno complete a trouble-free day to maintain 15th overall.

Stage 3 (AlUla to AlUla, Tuesday 6 January): Strong performances from Moraes / Zenz and Gutiérrez / Moreno allow the pairings to set the fourth and fifth fastest times respectively to hold sixth and seventh overall. Had it not been for a punctured tyre, Gutiérrez / Moreno could have achieved a new personal best stage result. Instead, they come within 11 seconds of bettering their previous benchmark as they climb up from 15th. Overnight leaders Al-Attiyah / Lurquin run second on the road and enjoy a promising start to the day only to suffer two damaged tyres at the 330-kilometre mark and drop to 10th. Fifth overall starting Stage 3 and sixth in the provisional order following 41 kilometres of running, Loeb / Boulanger are forced to stop twice to change tyres in the opening 100 kilometres. Having used their supply of spare tyres and determined to avoid retiring for the day by picking up a further deflation, the Frenchmen adopt an ultra-cautious approach for the remainder of the stage, which Loeb reports driving at “20 per cent” in his efforts to complete the 421-kilometre timed route.

Stage 4 (AlUla to Refuge Marathon, Wednesday 7 January): Al-Attiyah / Lurquin complete Stage 4 with the second fastest time to move up from 10th in the overall ranking to the provisional runner-up spot, despite hanging dust and a damaged tyre delaying their progress earlier in the day. From being 11m39s from the lead on Tuesday evening, Al-Attiyah / Lurquin are now 3m55s from top spot. Loeb / Boulanger battle up the leaderboard from 12th to eighth by going fifth quickest. The French duo reached the initial time check at 43 kilometres in the lead of the day classification. But in a virtual repeat of Tuesday, they adopt a cautious approach after depleting their supply of spare tyres after a double deflation at the 130-kilometre mark. Tyre damage and their early road order restrict Moraes / Zenz to the 21st fastest time and 12th overall. Gutiérrez / Moreno reach the bivouac refuge point 10th in the overall ranking having been saddled by their high starting position.

Stage 5 (Refuge Marathon to Ha’il, Thursday 8 January): While Al-Attiyah / Lurquin close the gap to the leaders by maintaining second overall, Moraes/Zenz hold third on the stage for large chunks, eventually finishing part two of the event’s first marathon stage fourth quickest, their efforts not helped by having to drive in the dust of cars running ahead of them. Nevertheless, they climb from 12th overall to seventh. From being 3m55s adrift of first on Wednesday, Al-Attiyah / Lurquin excel to minimise the potential time loss by running second on the road and close to within 3m17s of first. They could have been even closer to the front but for a two-minute penalty handed out when they inadvertently exceed the speed limit in a controlled zone. Fifth on the road and in fightback mode following significant tyre-related delays on Tuesday and Wednesday, Loeb / Boulanger finish Stage 5 12th fastest and remain eighth overall. Gutiérrez / Moreno suffer tyre damage and also lose time in hanging dust and go 14th.

Stage 6 (Ha’il to Riyadh, Friday 9 January): Quickest by nine seconds after 162 kilometres, Al-Attiyah / Lurquin grow their advantage to 47s at the 186-kilometre time check, a performance that elevates them from second to first in the overall ranking. And there is no slowing down thereafter with the pair reaching 248 kilometres leading the stage by 1m50s. They eventually take the stage win by 2m58s and turn a deficit of 3m17s into an overall lead of 6m10s. Loeb / Boulanger complete a historic 1-2 for The Dacia Sandriders – its first on the Dakar Rally and third in the W2RC – despite having changed a damaged tyre during the stage. Moraes / Zenz battle against their high starting order of fourth to finish the stage in 16th place and maintain their grip on a top 10 overall position. Gutiérrez / Moreno switch to providing a supporting role to Al-Attiyah / Lurquin and complete Stage 6 with the 15th quickest time. They move up from 14th to 13th in the current ranking.

DAKAR RALLY PROVISIONAL OVERALL RESULTS AFTER STAGE 6 (UNOFFICIAL)
1st: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Fabian Lurquin (BEL), 24h18m29s
6th: Sébastien Loeb (FRA) / Édouard Boulanger (FRA), +17m36s
10th: Lucas Moreas (BRA) / Dennis Zenz (GER), +26m46s
13th: Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP) / Pablo Moreno (ESP), +33m45s

DAKAR RALLY 2026: THE BIG NUMBER
4,343: A total of 4,343 kilometres lie between The Dacia Sandriders and the finish of the 48th Dakar Rally in Yanbu on Saturday 17 January.

THE DAY AHEAD: STAGE 7
Following the Rest Day in Riyadh, week two of the 2026 Dakar Rally begins on 11 January with a stage consisting mainly of sandy but relatively fast tracks, with occasional dense bush lining the route. The event heads south to Wadi ad-Dawasir during another lengthy day in the desert.

Stage distance: 462km
Liaison distance: 414km
Total distance: 876km

ENDS

For further information please visit www.press.dacia.co.uk or contact:

Charlie Roper
Dacia PR & Communications Manager
charlie.roper@dacia.com

Jim Holder
Renault Group UK Communications Director
jim.holder@renault.co.uk