Saturday Rest Day… Action Resumes Sunday from Riyadh to Wadi Al-Dawasir

Riyadh – Ha’il | BETH
Competition continued on Friday, January 9, 2026, in the sixth stage of the Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia, which started in Ha’il and finished in the capital Riyadh, covering a total distance of 915 km, including 326 km of timed special stage, marking one of the longest and toughest stages of the rally.

Cars Category

Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah, driving for Dacia Sandriders, recorded the fastest time of the stage with 3:38:28 hours, finishing ahead of his French teammate Sébastien Loeb by 2 minutes and 58 seconds, while American driver Seth Quintero (Toyota Gazoo Racing) placed third, 3 minutes and 19 seconds behind the leader.

In the overall standings, Al-Attiyah moved into first place with a cumulative time of 24:18:29 hours, leading South African Henk Lategan (Toyota Gazoo Racing) by 6 minutes and 10 seconds, while Spain’s Nani Roma (Ford Racing) ranked third, 9 minutes and 13 seconds off the lead.

Stock Cars Category

Defender Rally Team dominated the podium positions, with American Sara Price claiming first place in 4:32:10 hours, ahead of Lithuanian teammate Rokas Baciuška by 2 minutes and 39 seconds, while Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel completed the top three, 2 minutes and 50 seconds behind the leader.

Motorcycles Category

American rider Ricky Brabec (Honda Energy) topped the stage with a time of 3:41:33 hours, followed by his Spanish teammate Tosha Schareina, 1 minute and 14 seconds behind, while Australian Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM) finished third, 1 minute and 17 seconds off the lead.

Challenger Category

Chilean driver Ignacio Casale (BBR Motorsport) claimed stage victory in 3:58:57 hours, edging Saudi driver Danah Aqeel (Odyssey Academy) by 38 seconds, with Argentine Kevin Benavides finishing third, 1 minute and 40 seconds behind.

SSV Category

French driver Xavier de Soultrait (RZR Factory) secured first place with a time of 3:59:53 hours, ahead of American Kyle Chaney (Can-Am Factory) by 2 minutes and 7 seconds, while Chilean Francisco “Chaleco” López Contardo (Can-Am Factory LATAM) placed third, 2 minutes and 34 seconds behind.

Trucks Category

Chilean driver Ales Loprais (Rooij FPT) continued his strong performance, winning the stage in 4:10:50 hours, leading Lithuanian Vaidotas Žala by 1 minute and 58 seconds, with Dutch driver Mitchel van den Brink (Eurol Rally Sport) finishing third, 2 minutes and 46 seconds off the lead.

Rest Day and Next Stage

Saturday, January 10, 2026, will be a rest day for competitors. The rally resumes on Sunday, January 11, with Stage Seven starting from Riyadh and finishing in Wadi Al-Dawasir, covering 876 km, including 462 km of timed special stage.