The Dakar Rally

I. Origins: How the Dakar Rally Began

The Dakar Rally was born from an adventurous – and slightly accidental – idea.

In 1977, French motorcycle racer Thierry Sabine participated in the “Côte‑Côte Rally” that ran from Abidjan (Ivory Coast) to Nice (France). Driving through the Sahara, Sabine became disoriented in the desert and – instead of fear – found exhilaration. Inspired by the vast landscapes and sheer challenge, he developed the concept of a rally from Paris, France to Dakar, Senegal, traversing Europe and Africa’s unforgiving terrain.

The first Paris–Dakar Rally took place in 1978, drawing a mix of professional racers and adventurous amateurs. It immediately captivated the public – the idea of traversing thousands of kilometers of unmarked desert resonated with the age of exploration. Just four riders finished that first race, underscoring the brutal difficulty of the event.

Over subsequent years, the Dakar attracted top motorcycle teams, car constructors, and privateers, becoming a global phenomenon. Its reputation for danger grew alongside its appeal – during the 1980s and 90s, the race saw numerous accidents, fatalities, and geopolitical challenges that shaped its evolution.

II. Modern Era: Saudi Arabia and the New Dakar

In the 2000s, rising security concerns in North Africa — particularly around Mauritania and Mali — led organizers to reconsider the traditional Africa route.

In 2020, the Dakar Rally moved to Saudi Arabia, marking a new era. The country’s vast deserts, dramatic landscapes, and logistical commitment made it an ideal host, and the rally has remained there ever since. Saudi Arabia’s terrains — from monumental dunes to rocky highlands and dry riverbeds — offer a diversity of challenge that rivaled the Sahara.

Saudi hosts have also expanded the rally’s footprint in the region, with new bivouacs (base camps), cultural initiatives, and local support that enhances the spectacle and global broadcast reach.

III. Rally Structure: How Dakar Works

Unlike a traditional race on a closed circuit, the Dakar Rally is a rally raid — a form of long‑distance cross‑country racing over unmarked terrain, where navigation is just as important as speed.

A. Stages, Specials, and Overall Timing

The Dakar typically unfolds over about two weeks, often with a rest day mid‑race. Each day consists of:

Liaison sections: Non‑timed transitions between bivouacs and special sections.
Special stages: Timed portions over challenging terrain, usually between 200–500 km per stage.
Prologue: A short opening timed section determining starting order.

Competitors accumulate time across stages, with penalties added for navigational errors, missed checkpoints, or rule infractions. The competitor with the lowest cumulative time at the end of all stages wins their class.

B. Navigation: Roadbooks and GPS

Unlike standard racing, the Dakar restricts GPS navigation. Competitors rely on:

Roadbooks: Printed instructions with bearings, distances, and key hazards.
Odometers: To measure distance.
Pre‑programmed waypoints (limited).

This emphasis on navigation — especially through dunes and unmarked deserts — is a hallmark of the Dakar and a source of drama and unpredictability.

C. Bivouac Life

Each night, competitors, mechanics, and support staff gather at a bivouac — a semi‑permanent base with tents, food, medical facilities, and mechanical tents. In marathon stages, outside assistance is limited, forcing crews and riders to repair their vehicles themselves, adding to the spectacle.

IV. Classes: The Many Faces of Dakar Competition

The Dakar Rally isn’t just one race; it’s an umbrella of classes catering to different vehicles and goals, all competing under the wider Dakar banner:

1. Motorcycles

Riders compete in lightweight rally bikes. Navigation and physical endurance are critical, as solo riders must balance speed with responsible pacing across dunes and terrain.

2. Ultimate (Cars)

The premier car class — often called Ultimate category — includes highly modified, purpose‑built rally raid cars (also known as T1+ or modified buggies). These vehicles represent the peak of rally‑raid technology and speed.

3. Challenger (T3)

Prototype or lightweight modified vehicles (often UTV‑based) optimized for maneuverability over rough terrain.

4. SSV / UTV (T4)

Production‑based side‑by-side utility vehicles — typically slower but increasingly competitive and popular for privateers.

5. Trucks (T5)

Large heavy vehicles that navigate the same stages but usually with larger crews and specialized mechanics.

6. Stock Class

For vehicles closer to production spec — such as the Land Rover Defender Dakar D7X‑R — giving enthusiasts and smaller teams an accessible Dakar entry.

7. Classic and Mission 1000

Non‑competitive or regularity‑based classes celebrating vintage vehicles or experimental technologies such as hydrogen or electric bikes.

V. Dakar Legends: Icons and Records

Over 40+ editions, the Dakar Rally has seen legendary figures and records that define its lore:

Stéphane Peterhansel: Often called “Mr. Dakar,” he holds the record for most overall wins across motorcycles and cars combined — a staggering total of 14 wins.
Ari Vatanen: A rally raid icon, celebrated for daring runs through desert terrain.
Thierry Sabine: The visionary founder continues to loom large in Dakar culture.
Nasser Al‑Attiyah: A modern legend — Olympic shooter and rally driver — whose ongoing pursuit of Peterhansel’s record epitomizes Dakar endurance.

These figures embody Dakar’s blend of speed, skill, courage, and meticulous preparation.

VI. The 2025 Dakar Rally: Saudi Celebration and New Champions

The 2025 Dakar Rally was the 47th edition of the event and marked a significant milestone in Dakar’s Saudi chapter. Competitors faced nearly 8,000 km of rally across diverse Saudi landscapes, covering dunes, rocky tracks, desert plains, and challenging navigation points over roughly two weeks.

A. Rally Format and Participation

The 2025 rally hosted strong turnout across classes:

77 bikes
40 Ultimate cars
23 SSVs
13 trucks
Challenger entries
Stock class
Classic & Mission 1000 entrants

Despite the popularity and tough preparation, the race’s attrition rate reflected its difficulty: over 108 vehicles were forced to retire before the finish.

B. Motorcycle Triumph: Daniel Sanders

In 2025, Australian rider Daniel Sanders claimed the overall motorcycle category victory on a KTM, ending a period dominated by multiple champions and showcasing consistent pace and navigation throughout the rally.

Sanders dominated the race from start to finish, leveraging experience, terrain adaptability, and strategic pacing — ultimately controlling the bike competition over 14 stages.

C. Cars: Yazeed Al‑Rajhi’s Historic Victory

In the cars category, Yazeed Al‑Rajhi — a Saudi driver — made motorsport history. After 11 attempts, he finally clinched victory on his home soil, becoming the first Saudi to win the Dakar Rally in cars. Riding a Toyota Hilux privately supported, Al‑Rajhi mastered the dunes and terrain, handling pressure and adversity over the long rally.

His victory resonated beyond pure sport, symbolizing Saudi Arabia’s integration into Dakar culture and motorsport identity.

D. Other Category Wins and Highlights

Challenger (T3): Nicolás Cavigliasso secured the title, adding to his Dakar accolades.
SSV (T4): Brock Heger won his category on his birthday, underscoring Dakar’s blend of challenge and celebration.
Trucks: Martin Macík dominated after defending his title, showcasing truck resilience and strategy.
Dakar Classic: Carlos Santaolalla became the first repeat winner in the classic category’s brief history.

The 2025 Dakar balanced tradition and innovation — with hydrogen‑powered vehicles and Segway electric bikes joining the Mission 1000 experiment, demonstrating a potential future where Dakar embraces alternative technologies.

VII. The 2026 Dakar Rally: Drama in Saudi Arabia

The 2026 Dakar Rally — the championship’s 48th edition — continued the Saudi tradition, offering roughly 8,000 km of extreme competition across dunes, rock, and desert plains. With the start and finish both in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, the 2026 route combined traditional rally raid dynamics — navigation difficulty and relentless tempo — with modern refinements.

A. Route and Competition Overview

The 2026 schedule featured:

A prologue to set starting order.
13 timed stages officially counted.
A single rest day — customary mid‑race.
Mixed terrain with long liaison sections and tests of navigation and strategy.

The rally’s design balanced adventure, competition equality, and logistical efficiency for the rally caravan.

Entry lists were robust, with over 300 total competitors across motorcycles, cars, SSVs, trucks, stock, classics, and challenger classes — showcasing Dakar’s enduring popularity and competitiveness.

B. Cars: Nasser Al‑Attiyah’s Sixth Dakar Win

In 2026, Qatari legend Nasser Al‑Attiyah secured his sixth Dakar Rally victory in the car category — only a few wins shy of the record held by Stéphane Peterhansel. Driving for the Dacia Sandriders team in a Dacia Sandrider prototype, Al‑Attiyah demonstrated experience, tactical mastery, and unwavering consistency, cementing his place among rally raid legends.

This victory was historic for several reasons:

Dacia’s first Dakar win in just the team’s second appearance.
Al‑Attiyah’s overall count of six wins places him among the most successful Dakar competitors ever.
His co‑driver, Fabian Lurquin, achieved his first Dakar overall win after multiple podiums.

Al‑Attiyah finished ahead of Nani Roma (second) and Mattias Ekström (third), with the latter showcasing speed on the final stages.

C. Motorcycle Drama: Luciano Benavides’ Thrilling Victory

The 2026 motorcycle competition delivered one of the most dramatic finishes in Dakar history. Argentine rider Luciano Benavides won the bike category by a mere two seconds — the narrowest winning margin ever recorded in Dakar’s storied past.

Benavides, riding a KTM, overtook American star Ricky Brabec in the final kilometers — a finale that underscored how every navigation decision, mistake, and recovery can shape Dakar outcomes.

This race was also marked by:

Strong runs from Tosha Schareina, Skyler Howes, and Daniel Sanders.
Decisive moments where mechanical failures or navigational slips reshaped the leaderboard.

The motorcycle battle in 2026 will be remembered for its intensity and razor‑thin margin — a narrative fitting the Dakar’s ethos of drama and resilience.

D. Other 2026 Class Winners and Innovations

Aside from Ultimate cars and motorcycles:

SSV: Brock Heger maintained strong form, winning again in his class.
Stock Class: The Defender Dakar D7X‑R platform made waves, notably with Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal securing their class — highlighting how accessible Rally raid has become for production‑based entries.
Classic: Vintage competitors, including a Land Rover Series III entry from Karolis Raišys & Christophe Marques, championed the Dakar Classic category — a celebration of rally heritage.
Challenger, trucks, and classics classes all concluded with strong performances from seasoned competitors across multiple continents and vehicle types.

VIII. What Makes Dakar Unique? Themes and Legacy

1. Navigation Over Speed

Unlike many motorsport formats, Dakar prioritizes navigation skill almost as much as outright speed. Riders and drivers must interpret roadbooks in near total isolation, making decisions that can make or break their race.

2. Endurance and Strategy

Damaged vehicles, rider fatigue, and mental strain are constant companions.
Rally mechanisms like marathon stages — where external assistance is limited — test crews’ ability to self‑sustain.

3. International Spirit

Dakar attracts competitors from around the world. Its roster often includes factory teams, privateers, legends, and first‑time finishers.

4. Technological Evolution

Manufacturers use Dakar to test innovations — everything from engine reliability to suspension systems that can survive thousands of km of punishment.
Hybrid, electric, and alternative‑fuel vehicles are increasingly part of the narrative — as seen in 2025’s Mission 1000 experiments and discussions about future tech.

IX. Dakar and Culture

Beyond pure competition, the Dakar Rally influences global culture:

It has inspired photography, documentaries, video games, and countless “behind‑the‑scenes” narratives.
Its emphasis on resilience speaks to a universal human fascination with pushing beyond limits.

The rally also brings economic and social impact to host regions – from local tourism to global broadcast attention – and fosters cross‑cultural exchange between competitors and spectators alike.

X. Conclusion: The Enduring Spirit of Dakar

The Dakar Rally is more than a race. It is a test of endurance, courage, navigation mastery, and human determination against nature’s harshest blank canvas. From its inception in the deserts of Africa to its modern chapters in Saudi Arabia, Dakar continues to captivate and challenge.

The 2025 and 2026 editions reaffirmed the rally’s unique thrill:

Historic wins, like Al‑Rajhi in 2025.
Legendary performances, like Al‑Attiyah’s sixth title in 2026.
Heart‑stopping finishes, like Luciano Benavides’ two‑second victory – perhaps the most dramatic ending in Dakar’s history.