The Dacia Sandriders has claimed overall honours at the 2026 Dakar Rally, with Nasser Al-Attiyah and Fabian Lurquin defeating Ford in the Ultimate category. Nasser was able to secure his sixth Dakar win despite a late charge and consistent performance from the Blue Oval’s factory-backed Raptor T1+ effort.
The 48th running of the world’s toughest off-road race concluded with a 105-kilometre sprint stage around Yanbu, bringing to an end nearly 8000 kilometres of punishing terrain across Saudi Arabia. While Ford celebrated depth, speed and reliability, it was Dacia that stood atop the podium.
Dacia’s breakthrough Dakar victory
Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Fabian Lurquin sealed a commanding win for the Dacia Sandriders, finishing the rally with a margin of 9 minutes and 42 seconds. The result marked Al-Attiyah’s sixth Dakar victory and a maiden win for Linquin, while delivering Dacia its first overall Dakar triumph in just its second appearance at the event.
Across 13 stages, the purpose-built Dacia Sandrider proved both fast and dependable, claiming two stage wins and rarely falling outside the overall top three. All four Dacia crews reached the finish, with Sebastein Loeb finishing 4th, Lucas Moraes 7th, and Cristina Gutierrez 11th overall.
Dacia CEO Katrin Adt described the win as a defining moment for the brand, “ a historic and incredibly proud achievement” that showcased the Sandrider’s robustness and the commitment of the entire team.
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Ford’s strong showing, but no win
Ford Racing closed out Dakar 2026 with 2nd and 3rd overall positions, six stage victories and multiple all-Ford stage podiums, yet again narrowly missing the elusive overall win after a handful of time losses and minor setbacks across the two-week rally proved costly.
Nani Roma and Alex Haro delivered one of the stories of the rally, finishing second overall and securing Roma’s first Dakar podium in 7 years, and his first since returning from cancer recovery. Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist completed the podium in 3rd, with Ekström taking four stage wins to underline the pace of the Ford Raptor T1+.
Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz added a solid 5th place finish for Ford’s factory team, while American crew Mitch Guthrie Jr. and Kellon Walch impressed with a stage win and multiple podium results.
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While the Ford package consistently showed front-running speed, small delays earlier in the rally, including navigation challenges and time lost in difficult stages, ultimately left the team chasing rather than controlling the overall classification.
Ford’s first Dakar customer program also made an impact, with Romain Dumas and Martin Prokop both recording 2nd place stage finishes, highlighting the competitiveness of the Raptor T1+ beyond the factory-backed lineup.
A rally defined by fine margins
The 2026 Dakar was marked by dramatic swings across both bike and car categories, reinforcing the unforgiving nature of the event. In the Ultimate class, however, Dacia’s ability to manage risk in the closing stages proved decisive, as Al-Attiyah and Lurquin drove conservatively on the final day to protect their commanding lead.
Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbrook said the result demonstrated how far the program has progressed. “We’re proud of this result, but Dakar makes it clear what it takes to win. That only sharpens our focus on reaching the top step.”
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Promising start for Ford Racing
After finishing 3rd in 2025 and now 2nd and 3rd in 2026, Ford leaves Dakar 2026 with growing momentum and a strong foundation heading into the remainder of the World Rally-Raid Championship season.
The result also comes as Ford enters a new era under its Ford Racing banner, following the rebranding of Ford Performance as part of a broader push to unify its global motorsport efforts. The move signals a renewed commitment to competing and winning across the world’s toughest racing categories.
Beyond Dakar, Ford Racing’s ambitions stretch well beyond rally-raid, with a return to Formula 1 as a power unit partner in 2026 and a planned World Endurance Championship Hypercar programme further reinforcing the brand’s intent to re-establish itself as a top-level global motorsport contender.
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