The 2026 Dakar Rally enters its crucial second week with the field dramatically reduced and overall classifications still wide open across all categories. After seven punishing stages covering approximately 3,800 kilometres including 2,400 timed kilometres, the 47th edition continues to extract its brutal toll on competitors traversing Saudi Arabia's unforgiving terrain.
Cars: Loeb and Al-Attiyah Battle for Supremacy
Sébastien Loeb currently leads the car category in his Dacia Sandrider, holding a slender 8 minutes 42 seconds advantage over five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah in his Prodrive Hunter. The margin fluctuated wildly during the opening week, with Loeb extending his lead to over 15 minutes after Stage 5 before Al-Attiyah clawed back time through the marathon stage sequence.
The marathon stages on Days 6 and 7, where crews operated without assistance, proved decisive for several contenders. Carlos Sainz Sr. suffered significant time loss after damaging suspension on his Ford Raptor, dropping from second to fifth overall. Without access to team mechanics, Sainz and co-driver Lucas Cruz performed roadside repairs that cost them 34 minutes, leaving them 47 minutes off the lead heading into week two.
"The marathon destroyed our rhythm completely," Sainz said at the rest day bivouac in Al-Duwadimi. "We had the pace to challenge for the lead, but one rock in the wrong place and suddenly you're doing jobs meant for a workshop in 40-degree heat with limited tools. That's Dakar."
Toyota's Yazeed Al-Rajhi sits third overall, 22 minutes behind Loeb, following a consistent opening week marred only by a navigation error on Stage 4 that cost him approximately eight minutes. The Saudi driver benefits from home terrain knowledge, though he acknowledged that familiarity provides limited advantage given route changes and navigation complexity.
Henk Lategan occupies fourth for Toyota, while Mattias Ekström rounds out the top five in his Ford Raptor. The Swedish rallycross champion has impressed observers with his adaptation to rally raid competition, claiming his first Dakar stage victory on Stage 6.
The car category has already lost several major contenders. Giniel de Villiers retired on Stage 3 following engine failure in his Toyota Hilux. Stéphane Peterhansel, the 14-time Dakar champion, withdrew after Stage 5 when his Audi RS Q e-tron suffered irreparable electrical system damage. The retirements highlight the mechanical attrition that makes simply finishing Dakar an achievement.
Motorcycles: Price Leads Despite Injury Concerns
Toby Price commands the motorcycle classification despite riding with a shoulder injury sustained during a Stage 4 crash. The Australian KTM rider holds a 6 minute 17 second advantage over Honda's Pablo Quintanilla, with Husqvarna's Skyler Howes third, trailing by 11 minutes 33 seconds.
Price's crash on Stage 4 sent shockwaves through the bivouac, with many expecting him to withdraw. Medical examination revealed severe bruising and soft tissue damage but no fractures, allowing him to continue. His subsequent stage performances, including second place on Stage 6, demonstrated remarkable resilience.
"Pain management becomes everything," Price explained during the rest day. "You take anti-inflammatories, you ice it whenever possible, and you mentally prepare for hours of discomfort. The bike weighs nothing compared to what your mind must carry in these conditions."
The motorcycle category has witnessed devastating attrition, with 31 of the original 143 starters already withdrawn. Defending champion Ricky Brabec retired on Stage 8 after his Honda suffered catastrophic engine failure in the dunes. Former winner Sam Sunderland was helicoptered out following a Stage 5 crash that left him with suspected broken ribs.
Danilo Petrucci, the former MotoGP star, currently runs ninth overall in his third Dakar attempt. The Italian has shown impressive improvement, navigating cleanly while maintaining competitive pace. His presence has attracted significant media attention and demonstrated that circuit racing skills translate to rally raid with proper preparation and experience.
Trucks: Macík Extends Commanding Lead
Martin Macík has established dominance in the truck category, leading by 1 hour 23 minutes in his MM Technology Iveco after winning five of the opening seven stages. The Czech driver's combination of speed and reliability has demoralised competitors, with only mechanical failure likely to prevent his victory.
Dmitry Sotnikov sits second for Kamaz-Master, the Russian team's resilience impressive given reduced manufacturer support in recent years. Ales Loprais occupies third, 2 hours 18 minutes off the lead, following mechanical delays on Stage 6 that required trackside repairs.
The truck racing has provided spectacular footage, with 13-tonne machines airborne over dunes and sliding through corners at improbable speeds. Stage 6 featured dramatic images of Macík's Iveco launching off a crest with all wheels clear of the ground, a testament to engineering capabilities required for these machines.
Lightweight Vehicles: Tight Battle for Podium Positions
The lightweight vehicle category remains intensely competitive with Polish driver Marek Domżała leading by just 4 minutes 38 seconds over American Austin Jones. Cristina Gutiérrez sits third, 8 minutes 52 seconds behind, setting up a fascinating battle for the final week.
This category, introduced for vehicles under 1,200 kilograms, has attracted 51 entries in 2026, up from 32 in 2025. The growth reflects appetite for accessible Dakar competition at lower costs than Ultimate category cars, which can exceed €1 million in development and preparation expenses.
Week Two Challenges Ahead
The route ahead features some of the rally's most demanding terrain, including extended sections through the Empty Quarter desert starting with Stage 9. This vast sand sea, known in Arabic as Rub' al Khali, presents massive dunes and soft sand that eliminate unprepared competitors ruthlessly.
Navigation difficulty increases substantially in the Empty Quarter, where GPS waypoints are spaced far apart and competitors must choose their own routes across featureless terrain. Mistakes here cost not minutes but hours, with recovery from wrong routes often requiring backtracking across energy-sapping soft sand.
Organisers Amaury Sport Organisation warned competitors during the rest day briefing that Stages 9 through 11 would present the rally's toughest challenges. Stage 10, covering 638 kilometres of timed competition, represents the longest special stage in modern Dakar history and will likely prove decisive for overall classifications.
Weather forecasts suggest cooler temperatures for week two, dropping from the mid-30s Celsius experienced during week one to the high 20s. While more comfortable for competitors, cooler temperatures can make sand softer and more difficult to traverse, particularly in early morning stages before the sun firms surfaces.
Safety Record Continues
The rally has proceeded without major safety incidents through the opening week, following enhanced medical protocols introduced after several fatalities in earlier editions. Multiple medical helicopters position themselves along each stage, with average response times to serious incidents under fifteen minutes according to event medical staff.
However, the Sam Sunderland crash highlighted ongoing risks inherent to Dakar competition. The former champion fell heavily at high speed, requiring immediate medical attention and helicopter evacuation to hospital in Riyadh. His withdrawal serves as a stark reminder that Dakar pushes human and machine to absolute limits.
The Battle Continues
Week two separates contenders from pretenders. The opening week tests machinery and crew cohesion; the second week tests character and determination. Navigation errors that cost minutes early become catastrophic mistakes costing hours. Mechanical issues that seemed manageable become race-ending failures.
Loeb's advantage in cars looks commanding but remains vulnerable. Eight minutes over 5,000 kilometres represents nothing, a single wrong turn or mechanical issue erasing the gap instantly. Al-Attiyah has won five Dakars by maintaining consistency and capitalising on others' mistakes, a strategy working well so far.
Price's motorcycle lead appears more fragile given his injury. Six minutes ahead sounds comfortable until you consider riding 500-kilometre stages while managing pain and fatigue. Howes and Quintanilla lurk close enough to pounce on any mistake or physical limitation Price displays.
The truck category looks decided barring catastrophe, but Dakar specialises in catastrophe. Macík's 90-minute lead should prove sufficient, yet broken components or navigation errors can evaporate hours in minutes at this event.
Five days remain. Approximately 3,900 kilometres and 2,700 timed kilometres separate competitors from the finish in Shuqaiq on January 17th. Between now and then, the desert will decide who deserves victory and who merely hoped for it. That's Dakar. That's why it remains the toughest race on Earth, even before it finishes.