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Mattias Ekstrom Claims Stage Seven Victory as Al-Attiyah Holds Dakar Lead

Posted : 12 January 2026

Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom secured victory in stage seven of the Dakar Rally on Sunday as the competition entered its second week in Saudi Arabia, while Nasser Al-Attiyah retained his lead in the car category. Toyota’s Henk Lategan looked poised to win the stage and take the overall lead, but an unexpected stop at the final checkpoint caused him to fall behind.

Ekstrom, who had already won the prologue in a Ford Raptor, became the first top-category driver to claim more than one stage this year. Lategan had been ahead of Ekstrom after covering 417 of the 459 kilometers from Riyadh to Wadi Ad Dawasir, but a 10-minute halt at the 428km mark dropped him to third place, finishing eight minutes and 35 seconds behind the Swedish driver. Ekstrom’s performance moved him up to second overall, four minutes and 47 seconds behind five-time Dakar winner Al-Attiyah, while Lategan remained in third.

Spain’s Nani Roma rose to fourth place in a Ford after race stewards reinstated him as the winner of stage five and removed a one-minute, 10-second penalty.

In the motorcycle category, Australia’s Daniel Sanders extended his advantage over American rival Ricky Brabec to four minutes and 25 seconds, with Argentine rider Luciano Benavides just 15 seconds further back. Sanders had been only 45 seconds ahead following stage six, while Brabec finished 10th in the 459km stage. Benavides celebrated his second stage win of the rally, leading a Red Bull KTM one-two alongside Spaniard Edgar Canet, with Honda’s Adrien Van Beveren taking third place.

The Dakar Rally continues on Monday with stage eight, the longest of the race at 481 kilometers, which will see drivers and riders tackle challenging canyons and dunes around Wadi Ad Dawasir.

 

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