Dakar Rally Stage 12: Al‑Attiyah and Brabec tighten their grip heading into the finale
Stage 12 of the 2026 Dakar Rally delivered exactly what a penultimate stage should: pressure, precision, and a pair of championship‑defining performances. The 311 km special from Al Henakiyah to Yanbu was fast in places, brutal in others, and absolutely unforgiving for anyone who blinked.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
In Cars, Nasser Al‑Attiyah reminded everyone why he’s a five‑time Dakar champion. The Qatari star claimed his 50th career Dakar stage win, extending his overall lead and putting one hand firmly on the 2026 trophy. Behind him, Ford continued its late‑rally surge with Mitch Guthrie and Mattias Ekström both inside the top four on the day. Nani Roma lost some time but remains solidly second overall, while the fight for the final podium spot tightened between Ekström and Sébastien Loeb.
On Bikes, American Ricky Brabec delivered a decisive performance on the penultimate day of the Dakar Rally, claiming stage victory and regaining the overall lead with just one day of racing remaining.
With only 23 seconds separating the top two riders at the start of Stage 12, the day was always going to be pivotal. Brabec’s calculated move on Stage 11 – easing off to secure a later start position behind rival Luciano Benavides – was put to the test as he chases a third Dakar title.
The 311 km timed stage from Al Henakiyah to Yanbu demanded precision across technical navigation, rocky terrain and small dunes and starting six minutes behind Benavides, Brabec needed a near-perfect ride. Benavides struck first, leading at the 45 km mark, but once Brabec settled into his rhythm, the momentum began to shift. Gradually closing the gap, Brabec took control of the stage and as he caught riders ahead, including teammate Tosha Schareina, the time advantage grew. At the refueling point, Brabec was able to assess the standings, knowing the second half of the stage would be about damage limitation. Benavides mounted a charge of his own, catching and passing Skyler Howes and Adrien Van Beveren to collect bonus time, but it wasn’t enough.
At the finish, Brabec secured his second stage win of the 2026 Dakar Rally and the 13th of his Dakar career, beating Benavides by 3m43s. The victory also marked Honda’s 120th Dakar stage win. Brabec now carries a 3m20s advantage into the final stage.
“I tried to ride carefully but took many risks today to make a good push,” said Brabec. “With one day to go we’re looking really good, so I’m really happy about this. I think last night was probably the best night’s sleep I’ve had since the rally started. We have a late start tomorrow so I might be able to stay awake until 8.30pm tonight, so we’ll see. We’ve still got one day to go, Luciano has been riding really well through the whole rally, so I got to give it up to him, we’ve been fighting every single day. It’s truly cool to see and I think people that are watching at home are really enjoying the results everyday because it’s so back and forth. It makes for good racing and it makes for good television.”
With just one short special left, the 2026 Dakar Rally is now Al‑Attiyah’s and Brabec’s to lose — but Dakar has never been known for mercy.
Dakar Rally: Bikes Stage 12 Results (Top 10)
| Pos | No. | Rider (Country) | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Ricky Brabec (USA) | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 03h 19’01” | — |
| 2 | 77 | Luciano Benavides (ARG) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 03h 22’21” | +03’20” |
| 3 | 68 | Tosha Schareina (ESP) | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 03h 31’59” | +12’58” |
| 4 | 42 | Adrien Van Beveren (FRA) | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 03h 32’08” | +13’07” |
| 5 | 14 | Michael Docherty (RSA) | BAS World KTM Team | 03h 36’12” | +17’11” |
| 6 | 84 | Martim Ventura (POR) | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 03h 37’52” | +18’51” |
| 7 | 16 | Toni Mulec (SLO) | BAS World KTM Team | 03h 38’02” | +19’01” |
| 8 | 46 | Ross Branch (BOT) | Hero MotoSports | 03h 40’04” | +21’03” |
| 9 | 11 | Skyler Howes (USA) | Husqvarna Factory Racing | 03h 41’15” | +22’14” |
| 10 | 33 | Jeanloup Lepan (FRA) | Duust Rally Team | 03h 42’30” | +23’29” |
Dakar Rally: Bikes Overall Standings After Stage 12 (Top 10)
| Pos. | No. | Rider (Country) | Team | Time | Gap | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Ricky Brabec (USA) | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 48h 08’12” | — | — |
| 2 | 77 | Luciano Benavides (ARG) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 48h 11’32” | +00h 03’20” | — |
| 3 | 68 | Tosha Schareina (ESP) | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 48h 36’03” | +00h 27’51” | 00h 10’00” |
| 4 | 10 | Skyler Howes (USA) | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 49h 06’33” | +00h 58’21” | 00h 02’00” |
| 5 | 1 | Daniel Sanders (AUS) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 49h 06’43” | +00h 58’31” | 00h 06’00” |
| 6 | 42 | Adrien Van Beveren (FRA) | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 49h 15’09” | +01h 06’57” | — |
| 7 | 11 | Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo (CHI) | Hero MotoSports Team Rally | 49h 48’17” | +01h 40’05” | — |
| 8 | 46 | Ross Branch (BOT) | Hero MotoSports Team Rally | 50h 56’27” | +02h 48’15” | 00h 06’10” |
| 9 | 16 | Toni Mulec (SLO) | BAS World KTM Team | 51h 03’28” | +02h 55’16” | 00h 00’10” |
| 10 | 85 | Preston Campbell (USA) | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 51h 09’40” | +03h 01’28” | — |
Dakar Rally: Cars Stage 12 Results (Top 10)
Route: Al Henakiyah to Yanbu (311 km timed special)
| Pos | No. | Driver (Country) | Co-Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 299 | Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) | Fabian Lurquin | Dacia Sandriders | 03h 21’52” | — |
| 2 | 228 | Mitch Guthrie (USA) | Kellon Walch | Ford Racing | 03h 22’56” | +01’04” |
| 3 | 204 | Toby Price (AUS) | Armand Monleon | Toyota Gazoo Racing | 03h 23’17” | +01’25” |
| 4 | 226 | Mattias Ekström (SWE) | Emil Bergkvist | Ford Racing | 03h 23’41” | +01’49” |
| 5 | 205 | Eryk Goczal (POL) | Szymon Gospodarczyk | Energylandia Rally | 03h 25’47” | +03’55” |
| 6 | 206 | Marek Goczal (POL) | Maciej Marton | Energylandia Rally | 03h 26’55” | +05’03” |
| 7 | 219 | Sébastien Loeb (FRA) | Edouard Boulanger | Dacia Sandriders | 03h 27’05” | +05’13” |
| 8 | 227 | Nani Roma (ESP) | Alex Haro | Ford Racing | 03h 29’14” | +07’22” |
| 9 | 202 | Henk Lategan (RSA) | Brett Cummings | Toyota Gazoo Racing | 03h 29’25” | +07’33” |
| 10 | 225 | Carlos Sainz (ESP) | Lucas Cruz | Ford Racing | 03h 29’37” | +07’45” |
Dakar Rally: Cars Overall Standings After Stage 12 (Top 10)
| Pos. | No. | Driver / Co‑Driver (Country) | Team | Time | Gap | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 299 | Nasser Al‑Attiyah (QAT) / Fabian Lurquin (BEL) | The Dacia Sandriders | 48h 01’51” | — | 00h 02’40” |
| 2 | 227 | Nani Roma (ESP) / Alex Haro (ESP) | Ford Racing | 48h 17’53” | +00h 16’02” | 00h 02’10” |
| 3 | 226 | Mattias Ekström (SWE) / Emil Bergkvist (SWE) | Ford Racing | 48h 25’12” | +00h 23’21” | 00h 00’40” |
| 4 | 219 | Sébastien Loeb (FRA) / Edouard Boulanger (FRA) | The Dacia Sandriders | 48h 25’41” | +00h 23’50” | — |
| 5 | 225 | Carlos Sainz (ESP) / Lucas Cruz (ESP) | Ford Racing | 48h 38’24” | +00h 36’33” | 00h 17’20” |
| 6 | 214 | Mathieu Serradori (FRA) / Loïc Minaudier (FRA) | Century Racing Factory Team | 48h 55’08” | +00h 53’17” | 00h 02’10” |
| 7 | 223 | Lucas Moraes (BRA) / Dennis Zenz (GER) | The Dacia Sandriders | 48h 55’26” | +00h 53’35” | 00h 15’00” |
| 8 | 204 | Toby Price (AUS) / Armand Monleon (ESP) | Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC | 49h 00’15” | +00h 58’24” | — |
| 9 | 203 | Seth Quintero (USA) / Andrew Short (USA) | Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC | 49h 21’01” | +01h 19’10” | 00h 02’00” |
| 10 | 228 | Mitch Guthrie (USA) / Kellon Walch (USA) | Ford Racing | 49h 29’18” | +01h 27’27” | 00h 00’10” |