Saudi Arabia, January ₃ – ₉, 2026
As the dust settles over Riyadh for the traditional mid-point Rest Day, the 2026 Dakar Rally has already lived up to its reputation as the world’s most gruelling race. From the labyrinthine canyons of AlUla to the daunting dunes of the Empty Quarter, the first week has been a masterclass in survival, navigation, and raw speed.
Here is the TBNI.Blog mid-rally report on the state of play as we head into the decisive second week.
Official results and standings are taken from the Dakar website and verified race reporting.
Images from Red Bull Content Pool.
The Big Story: Precision vs. Attrition
The first half of the 2026 edition has been defined by the razor-thin margins in the Motorbike category and a changing of the guard in the Cars. While the heavy hitters have largely kept their machines in one piece, the “Marathon” stages have already claimed several high-profile victims.
The story of the week is undoubtedly the resurgence of Daniel “Chucky” Sanders. After a victory in 2025, the Australian has shown immense composure, fending off a ferocious four-pronged attack from the Monster Energy Honda HRC squad. In the Car category, the debut of The Dacia Sandriders has turned the leaderboard on its head, with Nasser Al-Attiyah proving that a new manufacturer doesn’t mean a slower pace.
Standings: Top 10 by Category
(Standings as of Rest Day, following Stage 6)
Motorbikes (RallyGP)
The duel between KTM and Honda is at a fever pitch. Sanders leads by a mere 45 seconds after nearly 25 hours of riding.
- Daniel Sanders (KTM): 24h 41m 00s
- Ricky Brabec (Honda): +0:45
- Luciano Benavides (KTM): +10:15
- Tosha Schareina (Honda): +11:56
- Ignacio Cornejo (Hero): +29:50
- Skyler Howes (Honda): +32:03
- Adrien Van Beveren (Honda): +56:35
- Bradley Cox (Sherco): +1h 25m
- Preston Campbell (Honda): +1h 31m
- Toni Mulec (KTM): +1h 47m
Cars (Ultimate)
Nasser Al-Attiyah has mastered the Dacia prototype early, but the Toyota and Ford rivals are within striking distance.
- N. Al-Attiyah (Dacia): 24h 18m 29s
- H. Lategan (Toyota): +6:10
- N. Roma (Ford): +9:13
- C. Sainz (Ford): +11:49
- M. Ekström (Ford): +12:11
- S. Loeb (Dacia): +17:36
- M. Guthrie (Ford): +21:49
- M. Serradori (Century): +23:29
- E. Goczal (Taurus): +24:40
- L. Moraes (Toyota): +26:46
Classic Dakar
After six stages, Classic entries — vintage cars and trucks on dedicated consistency routes — have their own leaderboard. As of the latest official listings, frontrunners include:
- K. Raisys / C. Marques
- J. Unterholzner / F. Gaioni
- T. Białkowski / D. (KAMENA CLASSIC TEAM DE ROOY)
(Standings subject to official Dakar publish)
Other Key Class Leaders
- Rally 2: Preston Campbell leads the field, making waves as a rookie standout.
- Challenger (T3): P. Navarro holds a slim 4-minute lead over Nicolas Cavigliasso.
- SSV (T4): Brock Heger and Max Eddy is currently dominating the side-by-side category for RZR Factory Racing.
- Trucks: The Eurol Rallysport powerhouses hold a 35 minute lead from the MM Technology Team.
- M1000 (Mission 1000): The hydrogen and electric prototypes are led by the Segway Team, with Benjamin Pascual showing consistent efficiency. (Not forgetting the Prototype truck of the KH-7 Ecovergy Team)
Notable Incidents & Retirements
The desert is never kind, and the 2026 route has already extracted a heavy toll:
- Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Cars): The local favorite and defending champion was forced to retire after a nightmare run of repeated tire failures and mechanical Gremlins that left his Hilux stranded.
- James Hillier (Bikes): The Isle of Man TT legend suffered a “low-speed” but devastating crash in Stage 1, resulting in a fractured arm near the elbow. Despite finishing the stage, he was forced to withdraw.
- Lorenzo Santolino (Bikes): A perennial top-10 contender, the Spaniard’s rally ended prematurely due to a catastrophic mechanical failure.
- The “Marathon” Chaos: Stage 4 saw several Rally 2 riders, including Michael Docherty, lose hours due to wheel damage with no service assistance allowed, effectively ending their podium hopes.
The Road Ahead
As we look toward the final week, the focus shifts to the Shubaytah dunes. With Sanders and Brabec separated by less than a minute, navigation in the “Empty Quarter” will likely decide the winner. In the cars, can the Ford M-Sport duo of Sainz and Roma hunt down the Dacia of Al-Attiyah?
The Dakar is only half over—and the hardest miles are yet to come.
Top Tip : Keep an eye on the “Original by Motul” (Malle Moto) riders. Without any assistance, their battle is the purest form of Dakar. Currently, the reliability of their kits has been tested by the unexpected cold snaps in the northern bivouacs.
How to Keep Up to Date with 2026 Dakar Week 2?
If you are interested in keeping up with all the action of week 2 of the 2026 Dakar Rally then check out this post which lists all the ways you can keep up with all the action from the UK :
