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Nasser Al-Attiyah Poised for Sixth Dakar Rally Victory After Stage 12 Win

Posted : 17 January 2026

Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah appears on the verge of securing a sixth Dakar Rally title after a dominant performance in Friday’s penultimate 12th stage across the Saudi Arabian desert. Driving a Dacia, the 55-year-old veteran extended his overall lead to 15 minutes with just 105 kilometers remaining.

The stage victory marked the 50th of Al-Attiyah’s illustrious career, matching the record for car category wins held by Finnish rally legend Ari Vatanen and France’s 14-time Dakar champion Stéphane Peterhansel. The rally concludes on Saturday near the Red Sea port of Yanbu after nearly 8,000 kilometers of grueling competition over two weeks.

Reflecting on his performance, Al-Attiyah said, “To win this stage and to have a good lead now is really amazing. You can lose everything today, but we did a good job. One day to go, but we need to be smart and really focused.” His closest rival, Ford’s Nani Roma, suffered a major setback when a broken front axle caused him to lose a wheel, expanding his deficit significantly.

French teammate Romain Dumas assisted Roma at the stage finish, allowing him to reach the overnight bivouac without penalty. Mattias Ekström sits third overall, with Sebastien Loeb and Carlos Sainz close behind, highlighting the intense competition among the top drivers.

In the motorcycle division, Honda’s American Ricky Brabec reclaimed the lead following a strategic decision to drop back on Thursday to secure a better starting position for the final stage. Brabec now leads Argentine rider Luciano Benavides by three minutes and 20 seconds, with Honda’s Spanish rider Tosha Schareina in third place.

Reflecting on his chances, Brabec said, “We’ve got one more day to go. Tomorrow is supposed to be ‘easy’ they say, and if I open and do a good job, I should get about a minute and a half of bonus time, so we’ll see what happens.” Meanwhile, reigning champion Daniel Sanders struggles in fifth place, coping with a shoulder injury sustained midweek, emphasizing the rally’s punishing conditions.

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