Dakar Rally 2026: Highlights from Stage 6

The 2026 Dakar Rally hit its halfway mark on January 9 with Stage 6, the longest timed special so far at 458km within a 766km liaison from Ha’il to Al Duwadimi. The route blended high-speed gravel plains, rocky sections, and introductory dunes, demanding precise navigation and tire management after the marathon’s toll.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Speeding penalties in controlled zones added drama, while the return to full crew support allowed overnight recoveries. Dacia struck decisively in cars with Nasser Al-Attiyah reclaiming the lead, while Honda’s Ricky Brabec dominated bikes to narrow the gap on KTM’s Daniel Sanders ahead of the Riyadh rest day.

Bikes Category

2026 Dakar Rally – Honda rider American Ricky Brabec. Image supplied by Honda

American Ricky Brabec (#9, Monster Energy Honda HRC) delivered a commanding ride to secure his first stage win of the rally, slicing into the overall lead. Spain’s Tosha Schareina (#68, Honda) backed him up in second for a strong team showing, while Daniel Sanders (#1, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) limited losses in third despite a 6-minute speeding penalty, holding a razor-thin 45-second overall advantage. The fast stage suited Honda’s pace, but KTM’s consistency keeps Sanders atop as the field braces for the Empty Quarter dunes.

Dakar Rally: Bikes Stage 6 Results (Top 10)

Pos.	N°	Rider	Team	Time	Behind	Penalty
1	9	Ricky Brabec	Monster Energy Honda Hrc	03h 41′ 33”
2	68	Tosha Schareina	Monster Energy Honda Hrc	03h 42′ 47”	+ 00h 01′ 14”
3	1	Daniel Sanders	Red Bull Ktm Factory Racing	03h 42′ 50”	+ 00h 01′ 17”	00h 06′ 00”
4	10	Skyler Howes	Monster Energy Honda Hrc	03h 45′ 36”	+ 00h 04′ 03”
5	42	Adrien Van Beveren	Monster Energy Honda Hrc	03h 46′ 54”	+ 00h 05′ 21”
6	77	Luciano Benavides	Red Bull Ktm Factory Racing	03h 47′ 10”	+ 00h 05′ 37”
7	14	Michael Docherty	Bas World Ktm Team	03h 51′ 06”	+ 00h 09′ 33”	00h 07′ 00”
8	16	Toni Mulec	Bas World Ktm Team	03h 53′ 39”	+ 00h 12′ 06”
9	11	Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo	Hero Motosports Team Rally	03h 54′ 02”	+ 00h 12′ 29”
10	46	Ross Branch	Hero Motosports Team Rally	03h 55′ 07”	+ 00h 13′ 34”

Dakar Rally: Bikes Overall Standings After Stage 6 (Top 10)

Pos.	N°	Rider	Team	Time	Behind	Penalty
1	1	Daniel Sanders	Red Bull Ktm Factory Racing	24h 41′ 00”		00h 06′ 00”
2	9	Ricky Brabec	Monster Energy Honda Hrc	24h 41′ 45”	+ 00h 00′ 45”
3	77	Luciano Benavides	Red Bull Ktm Factory Racing	24h 51′ 15”	+ 00h 10′ 15”
4	68	Tosha Schareina	Monster Energy Honda Hrc	24h 52′ 56”	+ 00h 11′ 56”	00h 10′ 00”
5	11	Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo	Hero Motosports Team Rally	25h 10′ 50”	+ 00h 29′ 50”
6	10	Skyler Howes	Monster Energy Honda Hrc	25h 13′ 03”	+ 00h 32′ 03”	00h 02′ 00”
7	42	Adrien Van Beveren	Monster Energy Honda Hrc	25h 37′ 35”	+ 00h 56′ 35”
8	7	Bradley Cox	Sherco Rally Factory	26h 06′ 28”	+ 01h 25′ 28”
9	85	Preston Campbell	Monster Energy Honda Hrc	26h 12′ 04”	+ 01h 31′ 04”
10	46	Ross Branch	Hero Motosports Team Rally	26h 17′ 10”	+ 01h 36′ 10”	00h 06′ 00”

Cars Category (Ultimate Class)

2026 Dakar Rally #299 Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Fabian Lurquin

Qatari legend Nasser Al-Attiyah (#299, The Dacia Sandriders) and co-driver Fabian Lurquin unleashed a flawless performance for their first stage win, overtaking the overall lead with a Dacia 1-2 alongside Sébastien Loeb (#219). Toyota’s Seth Quintero (#203) and Toby Price (#204) kept the pressure on with third and fourth, limiting losses for overnight leader Henk Lategan (#202), who dropped to second overall. Ford’s Nani Roma (#227) and Carlos Sainz (#225) rounded out a competitive top seven, highlighting the multi-brand fight as penalties and navigation played key roles.

Dakar Rally: Cars Stage 6 Results (Top 10)

Pos.	N°	Driver / Co-Driver	Team	Time	Behind	Penalty
1	299	Nasser Al-Attiyah / Fabian Lurquin	The Dacia Sandriders	03h 38′ 28”
2	219	Sébastien Loeb / Edouard Boulanger	The Dacia Sandriders	03h 41′ 26”	+ 00h 02′ 58”
3	203	Seth Quintero / Andrew Short	Toyota Gazoo Racing W2rc	03h 41′ 47”	+ 00h 03′ 19”
4	204	Toby Price / Armand Monleon	Toyota Gazoo Racing W2rc	03h 42′ 47”	+ 00h 04′ 19”
5	240	Joao Ferreira / Filipe Palmeiro	Toyota Gazoo Racing Sa	03h 43′ 24”	+ 00h 04′ 56”
6	227	Nani Roma / Alex Haro	Ford Racing	03h 43′ 59”	+ 00h 05′ 31”
7	225	Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz	Ford Racing	03h 45′ 01”	+ 00h 06′ 33”
8	214	Mathieu Serradori / Loïc Minaudier	Century Racing Factory Team	03h 45′ 34”	+ 00h 07′ 06”
9	218	Guy Botterill / Oriol Mena	Toyota Gazoo Racing Sa	03h 45′ 36”	+ 00h 07′ 08”
10	205	Eryk Goczał / Szymon Gospodarczyk	Energylandia Rally Team	03h 45′ 47”	+ 00h 07′ 19”

Dakar Rally: Cars Overall Standings After Stage 6 (Top 10)

Pos.	N°	Driver / Co-Driver	Team	Time	Behind	Penalty
1	299	Nasser Al-Attiyah / Fabian Lurquin	The Dacia Sandriders	24h 18′ 29”		00h 02′ 00”
2	202	Henk Lategan / Brett Cummings	Toyota Gazoo Racing W2rc	24h 24′ 39”	+ 00h 06′ 10”
3	227	Nani Roma / Alex Haro	Ford Racing	24h 27′ 42”	+ 00h 09′ 13”	00h 01′ 10”
4	225	Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz	Ford Racing	24h 30′ 18”	+ 00h 11′ 49”	00h 01′ 10”
5	226	Mattias Ekström / Emil Bergkvist	Ford Racing	24h 30′ 40”	+ 00h 12′ 11”	00h 00′ 30”
6	219	Sébastien Loeb / Edouard Boulanger	The Dacia Sandriders	24h 36′ 05”	+ 00h 17′ 36”
7	228	Mitch Guthrie / Kellon Walch	Ford Racing	24h 40′ 18”	+ 00h 21′ 49”	00h 00′ 10”
8	214	Mathieu Serradori / Loïc Minaudier	Century Racing Factory Team	24h 41′ 58”	+ 00h 23′ 29”
9	205	Eryk Goczał / Szymon Gospodarczyk	Energylandia Rally Team	24h 43′ 29”	+ 00h 25′ 00”	00h 00′ 20”
10	223	Lucas Moraes / Dennis Zenz	The Dacia Sandriders	24h 45′ 15”	+ 00h 26′ 46”

As competitors arrive in Riyadh for the well-earned rest day, the 2026 Dakar remains a nail-biter—Sanders clinging to a 45-second bike lead over Brabec, while Al-Attiyah holds a 6-minute cushion in cars amid Ford’s surge. Repairs, strategy sessions, and recovery will set the tone for the brutal second week in the dunes. The fight for victory is wide open!