Daniel Sanders looked unstoppable as the rally plunged into its first major sandy test on the road to Riyadh, just before the much-needed rest day. Setting off from Hail in third position, the defending champion wasted no time asserting his authority. One by one, Nacho Cornejo and then teammate Luciano Benavides were reeled in and dispatched as Sanders powered through to claim the stage victory solo. Along the way, he scooped up a healthy slice of bonus time (2’40’’), seemingly creating the breathing room he needed at the top of the overall standings.
But Dakar rarely rewards unchecked enthusiasm. A missed speed limit proved costly for the Australian, who was hit with a six-minute penalty—an error that abruptly tightened the fight for the lead.
While Sanders paid the price for excess pace, Ricky Brabec quietly reinforced his reputation as the master of consistency. Though beaten on the tracks, the American emerged as one of the day’s big winners. Securing his 12th Dakar stage victory, the Monster Energy Honda HRC rider underlined his status as Sanders’ most credible challenger. Still 45 seconds behind the leader, Brabec remains the only Rally GP rider yet to put a foot wrong since the start in Yanbu—an ominous sign for the competition as he chases a third Dakar crown.
Tosha Schareina, meanwhile, continued to wrestle with the consequences of his penalty from the previous day. Starting fifth gave the Spaniard a chance to strike back, but the damage couldn’t be fully undone. Sanders’ penalty ultimately softened the blow, yet Schareina reaches the rest day frustrated—fourth overall, 11’56’’ off the lead and narrowly trailing Luciano Benavides for the final podium spot.
In Rally 2, the spotlight belonged to Mike Docherty. Back in action after breaking his front wheel on stage four, the sand specialist delivered a reminder of his talent. The South African dominated his class and even snatched an impressive fourth place overall on the stage. Although a massive penalty earlier in the rally (62h30’) has extinguished any hopes of overall glory, Docherty is clearly intent on making every remaining kilometre count.
Some things in Dakar feel inevitable—Nasser Al-Attiyah winning stages among the dunes is one of them. Like cherry blossoms in spring or summer migrations to the Mediterranean, the Qatari’s dominance in sand is almost ritualistic. Starting 15th from Hail, the conditions were perfectly aligned for another Al-Attiyah masterclass.
Measured, precise, and devastatingly effective, he claimed his 49th Dakar stage win—extending an extraordinary streak of 19 consecutive editions with at least one stage victory, even counting rallies where he failed to finish. More importantly, the result propelled him into the overall lead at the rest day, having overtaken Henk Lategan and stretched the gap to 6’10’’.
The celebration didn’t stop there for Dacia. Sébastien Loeb delivered the team’s first-ever Dakar one-two with a strong second place. His comeback mission continues steadily rather than spectacularly, but progress is undeniable: the nine-time WRC champion climbs from eighth to sixth overall, now 17’36’’ behind Al-Attiyah.
Completing the top three overall is Nani Roma, enjoying his best Dakar showing since 2019. The Catalan sits 9’13’’ off the lead and flies the flag for Ford, a squad well-placed to apply sustained pressure in the second half of the rally. Carlos Sainz remains firmly in contention in fourth, 11’49’’ back, while Mattias Ekström rounds out the top five just seconds further behind.
Ignacio Casale, the One-Man Orchestra
Few competitors embody Dakar versatility quite like Ignacio Casale. Since his debut in 2010—initially in a truck alongside his father—the Chilean has raced bikes, dominated the quad category with three overall titles and 23 stage wins, and later held his own among the trucks during the Kamaz era.
Now competing in the Challenger class after a brief pause in 2025, Casale is once again centre stage. Fresh motivation may come from home: his wife gave birth to twin girls just before the rally. Luck or fate, it worked. Casale claimed his first Challenger stage win today, edging Dania Akeel by 38 seconds. Overall victory may still be a stretch—he sits sixth, 1h53’ behind leader Pau Navarro—but Casale’s return to form is unmistakable.
Seaidan’s Fall from the Summit
For Yasir Seaidan, the run into Riyadh was supposed to be triumphant. The local hero, who had led during stages 3 and 4, started the day 4’26’’ behind Pau Navarro but launched a ferocious attack in the dunes. After 253 km, Seaidan had clawed his way back to the top—by a single second.
Then disaster struck. Just 50 km later, mechanical trouble forced him to stop, costing nearly 45 minutes and shattering his challenge. Dania Akeel carried Saudi hopes forward, narrowly missing out on the stage win by 38 seconds to Casale, but the damage was done.
At the halfway point, Seaidan has slipped off a podium he had occupied since stage two. With Yazeed Al Rajhi already out and Akeel sidelined by misfortune, Seaidan now stands as Saudi Arabia’s final hope for a home victory—one that suddenly looks far more fragile.
The RacerViews info
By Matt Hancock
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