Al-Attiyah holds the record for stage wins in Dakar, one step away from victory

Dacia Sandriders will set off tomorrow, January 17, on the final day of the Dakar Rally on their way to winning the first race of the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship season after Nasser Al-Attiyah equalled the record with a 50th stage win, giving him, along with co-driver Fabian Luerken, a lead of 15 minutes and 2 seconds magazin de piese auto online.

Al-Attiyah holds the record for stage wins in Dakar, one step away from victory

After his triumph on Stage 6, Al-Attiyah moved within one stage win of equalling the record set jointly by Stephane Peterhanzel and Ari Vatanen. His success on today’s 311km stage from Al Henakiya to Yanbu brought him level with two legends of the toughest race in international motorsport.

From a lower starting position of 17, Al-Attiyah/Lurken made rapid progress on a varied route of fast, winding and narrow sections that also included riverbeds and small sand dunes before the stage finale in Yanbu, where the 48th Dakar Rally began with the prologue on January 3.

They completed the stage in 3 hours, 21 minutes and 52 seconds, giving Al-Attiyah the 10th fastest time in W2RC with the Dacia Sandriders team and solidifying his overall lead ahead of the decisive 105 kilometers of tomorrow's stage.

While victory for Al-Attiyah/Lurken is far from guaranteed, if they win, Sébastien Loeb and Edouard Boulanger can still join their teammates on the Dakar Rally podium, despite dropping from third to fourth place in the overall standings on stage 12. With a gap of 29 seconds to overcome on tomorrow's 13th and final stage, third place remains within reach for the French crew.

World champion Lucas Moraes, for whom the Dakar Rally is the first competition for Dacia Sandriders and his first with co-driver Denis Zenz, reached the finish of the penultimate stage of the Dakar Rally 18 seconds behind in sixth place in the overall standings.

Cristina Gutierrez and Pablo Moreno gained another place in the overall standings, moving up from 13th to 12th after supporting Al-Attiyah/Lurkin, who started stage 12 one position ahead of them.

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After his triumph on Stage 6, Al-Attiyah moved within one stage win of equalling the record set jointly by Stephane Peterhanzel and Ari Vatanen

From a lower starting position of 17, Al-Attiyah/Lurken made rapid progress on a varied route of fast, winding and narrow sections that also included riverbeds and small sand dunes before the stage finale in Yanbu, where the 48th Dakar Rally began with the prologue on January 3