2026 Dakar Results & Week 2 Summary :
2026 Dakar Rally – Week 2 Summary
Saudi Arabia, January 10 – 17, 2026
By TomBoyNI
Check out what you missed from the first week of the 2026 Dakar Rally.
After a frenetic first week of navigation tests, marathon challenges and multiple leaderboard shakeups, the 48th Dakar Rally charged into its second week with everything still to play for. With dunes raising temperatures and spirits alike, the second marathon stage and final five specials delivered drama, strategy, heartbreak and history – true to the spirit that has made Dakar the world’s toughest motorsport adventure.
Official results and standings are taken from the Dakar website and verified race reporting.
Images from Red Bull Content Pool.
Stage 8 – Wadi ad-Dawasir Loop
January 12
Week 2 opened with perhaps the most influential special of the entire rally: a long, punishing loop that immediately reshaped the Bike leaderboard. Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM) attacked with precision and pace to take his third stage win, and with it the overall RallyGP lead, a coup that put him in prime position for the final battle. Daniel Sanders and Ricky Brabec rounded out the top three on the day, setting up a thrilling title fight.
On the car side, the sands began to bite into hopes and machines. Navigation, tyre wear and rising pressure on the legendary Saudi terrain started to tell on contenders. Ford’s consistency underlined their race pace, but Nasser Al-Attiyah’s measured approach kept the Dacia at the head of the field.
Stage 9 – Navigation Tests
January 13
Luciano Benavides continued to press his advantage in RallyGP, while Honda’s Tosha Schareina showcased blistering speed with the stage win – further underlining that the bike title would go down to the wire. Daniel Sanders and Ricky Brabec kept within striking distance, each capitalizing on moments where others faltered.
In the Ultimate car class, another Ford — and this time veteran poise — earned its moment on top as teams jockeyed for position ahead of the crucial stages to come. Deep in the dunes, even experienced Dakar crews found themselves wrestling with lines and landmarks.
Stage 10 – Marathon Toll Begins
January 14
Entering the second Marathon of Dakar 2026 — a two-day test where crews receive no outside assistance — mechanical sympathy became as important as outright speed.
Ricky Brabec claimed the bikes stage win by mastering the tricky tech sections, narrowing Benavides’ advantage and setting the stage for a final-day showdown on the RallyGP leaderboard. KTM and Honda’s rivalry could now truly be called a duel.
In Ultimate, the marathon played into Al-Attiyah’s strengths: controlled aggression. The Qatari kept clear of contenders’ mistakes, while others lost time to punctures, mis-reads and the brutal physical toll of isolated rallying.
Stage 11 – Penultimate Pressure
January 15
With the marathon refuge behind them, racing resumed in earnest. Mattias Ekström grabbed the stage, injecting Ford momentum into the car fight. But Al-Attiyah’s reserves of composure held firm — his lead in the Ultimate class remaining healthy as challengers’ fortunes fluctuated.
On two wheels, Ricky and Luciano swapped tenths in a tactical chess match. Skyler Howes took the day’s bike stage win, but the overall standings tightened. With a mere handful of minutes separating the RallyGP leaders, navigation precision loomed larger than ever.
Stage 12 – Last Chance Saloon
January 16
Once again, Brabec shone on the moto special to claim the stage win, temporarily frightening Benavides’ hold on the RallyGP lead. Meanwhile in cars, Al-Attiyah notched a record-equalling 50th Dakar stage victory, his second of this rally, reaffirming his command and experience.
As night fell before the final special, rallies across classes were still alive. In Challenger, Pau Navarro drove a master-class in consistency to sit well placed for the overall win. In SSV, Brock Heger and Max Eddy Jr. remained untouchable. And in Stock, the Land Rover Defender Dakar D7X-R led emphatically thanks to Rokas Baciuška’s remarkable run.
Stage 13 – The Final Act
January 17 – Yanbu
The shortest special of Dakar 2026 nevertheless delivered the most dramatic conclusion in years.
Bikes: KTM’s Edgar Canet blitzed the final special, but on the leaderboard it was all eyes on Benavides and Brabec. With a lead that disappeared only in the final kilometres, Brabec’s tiny navigation slip handed Luciano Benavides the Dakar Rally crown by an astounding 2-second margin — the narrowest in the event’s storied history. The raw emotion of this finish will live long in Dakar lore.
Cars (Ultimate): Nasser Al-Attiyah brought Dakar 2026 home with a controlled and commanding performance, sealing his sixth Dakar title and the first for the Dacia Sandriders team in the event. Ford’s Nani Roma and Mattias Ekström completed a well-earned podium after much back-and-forth through the dunes.
Elsewhere, Navarro confirmed his Challenger T3 success with steady pacing rather than spectacular stage blasts. Classics competitors joyfully completed their regularity trials. In Mission 1000, Jordi Juvanteny’s hybrid/alternative-power entry led a tightly packed field under the banner of Dakar’s future-tech showcase. SSV, Trucks and Stock classes all concluded with emphatic class wins amid the fanfare of the Yanbu finish.
2026 Dakar Rally – Final Standings (Top Results by Class)
🌟 Ultimate (Cars)
- Nasser Al-Attiyah / Fabian Lurquin – Dacia Sandrider
- Nani Roma / Alex Haro – Ford Raptor
- Mattias Ekström / Emil Bergkvist – Ford Raptor
- Sébastien Loeb / Edouard Boulanger – Dacia Sandrider
- Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz – Ford Raptor
🏍 Bikes (RallyGP)
- Luciano Benavides (ARG) – KTM
- Ricky Brabec (USA) – Honda
- Tosha Schareina (ESP) – Honda
- Skyler Howes (USA) – Honda
- Daniel Sanders (AUS) – KTM
🚘 Challenger (T3)
- Pau Navarro – Taurus T3 Max
- Yasir Seaidan – Taurus EVO Max
- Nicolás Cavigliasso – Taurus EVO Max
🛻 Classics
- Karolis Raišys / Christophe Marques – Land Rover Defender
- Ondrej Klymciw / Josef Broz – Mitsubishi Pajero
- Josef Unterholzner / Franco Gaioni – Mitsubishi Pajero
🌀 SSV (T4)
- Brock Heger / Max Eddy Jr. – Polaris RZR Pro R Rally
- Kyle Chaney – Can-Am Maverick R
- Xavier de Soultrait – Polaris RZR Pro R Rally
📦 Stock
- Rokas Baciuška / Oriol Vidal – Defender Dakar D7X-R
- Stéphane Peterhansel – Defender Dakar D7X-R
- Sara Price / Sean Berriman – Defender Dakar D7X-R
⚙️ Truck (T5)
Top Prototype Trucks featured Vaidotas Zala and others leading respective legs, with strong finishes from Iveco and MM Technology outfits. (Official rankings show intense competition across the heavy classes.)
🔋 Mission 1000
- Jordi Juvanteny / José Luis Criado / Xavier Ribas – MAN TGA
- Fran Gómez Pallas – Arctic Leopard EXE 880 Rally
- Benjamin Pascual – Segway Future Tech Entry
The Big Picture
From a marathon-stage that thinned the herd to a finale shorter than many Paris-Dakar specials of old, Dakar 2026 will be remembered for razor-thin margins, strategic bravery and enduring spirit. Luciano Benavides and Nasser Al-Attiyah etched their names into Dakar history with unforgettable top-step battles, while challengers across every category showcased that the rally — in all its many forms — rewards not just speed, but unshakeable resolve.
Race dust settles, but the story of triumph and attrition will be retold around bivouacs and offices for months to come.
Vive le Dakar.
