Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah clinched his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, while Argentina’s Luciano Benavides claimed a dramatic bike victory by just two seconds.
Al-Attiyah sealed overall victory after safely navigating the final stage, extending his career tally of stage wins to 50. Driving a Dacia alongside Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin, the 55-year-old finished ninth on the 13th and final stage in Yanbu but still ended nearly 10 minutes clear of second-placed Nani Roma of Ford.
“We’ve worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it’s there, deep down. We are so happy to win,”
Nasser Al Attiyah, Qatar’s Dakar Rally Champion
The Qatari added to his previous Dakar triumphs from 2011, 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2023. A bronze medallist in clay pigeon shooting at the 2012 London Olympics, he took control of the rally early and never relinquished the lead.
Roma’s Ford teammate Mattias Ekström won the final stage to secure third place overall. The victory marked a milestone for Romanian manufacturer Dacia, delivering their first Dakar win at only their second attempt.
Al-Attiyah now sits second on the all-time list of Dakar car victories, moving two titles clear of Ari Vatanen and Carlos Sainz, who are tied on four. Only France’s Stéphane Peterhansel, with a record eight car wins, remains ahead. “This is my sixth victory. I still need to break Peterhansel’s record,” Al-Attiyah said.
Defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi of Saudi Arabia was forced to withdraw last week due to mechanical problems.
In the bike category, Luciano Benavides secured his first Dakar title in a nail-biting finish. The 30-year-old KTM rider finished second on the final stage, doing just enough to hold off Honda’s American two-time champion Ricky Brabec by two seconds and claim overall victory.
