RIYADH: Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyah secured his sixth Dakar Rally title after the conclusion of the 13th and final stage in Saudi Arabia, reaffirming his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Driving for Dacia Sandriders alongside Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin, Al Attiyah topped the overall standings with a total time of 48:56:53 hours. He finished 9 minutes and 42 seconds ahead of Ford Racing’s Spaniard Nani Roma, while Ford Racing’s Swedish driver Mattias Ekstrom completed the podium, 14 minutes and 33 seconds adrift.
Frenchman Sebastien Loeb of Dacia Sandriders took fourth place, 15 minutes and 10 seconds behind the winner, with Ford Racing’s Carlos Sainz rounding out the top five, 28 minutes and 30 seconds off the lead.
Al Attiyah expressed his delight at the triumph, praising the tremendous work carried out by the entire team since last year. He added, however, that his ambition remains to surpass the record of French legend Stephane Peterhansel.
The victory adds to Al Attiyah’s previous Dakar successes in 2011, 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2023, moving him closer to Peterhansel’s record haul of eight titles claimed between 2004 and 2021.
