Dakar Rally 2026: Hero MotoSports Finishes Inside Top 10; KTM and Dacia Secure Overall Wins

The Dakar Rally 2026 wrapped up after 13 tough stages across Saudi Arabia, once again showing why it remains the hardest race in motorsport. From early morning starts to long nights in the Desert, riders and drivers faced constant pressure across nearly 8,000km of harsh terrain. The route mixed fast gravel, open dunes and technical navigation sections, with marathon and refuge stages pushing both people and machines. Dakar Rally 2026 also marked the opening round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, bringing factory teams and private entries together across bikes, cars and stock categories.

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Every stage demanded focus, smart riding and clean decision-making, with the rally staying competitive until the final kilometres of the event.

In the car category, Nasser Al-Attiyah secured overall victory to claim his sixth Dakar Rally title. Driving the Dacia Sandrider, the Qatari controlled the second half of the rally and stayed clear of pressure from Ford and Toyota. The result delivered Dacia its first overall Dakar win and completed a strong debut campaign for the manufacturer in the top class.

The motorcycle category saw Luciano Benavides take overall victory for KTM. The Argentine rider moved into the lead during the later stages and managed the final days with control. KTM once again finished on top at Dakar, continuing its long-standing record in rally-raid competition.

In the Stock category, the Land Rover Defender secured the overall win. The programme completed the full rally distance and recorded multiple stage finishes. The Dakar outing formed part of Land Rover’s endurance testing work, with the Defender covering long desert stages under competitive conditions.

Indian in Dakar Rally 2026

Hero MotoSports closed the Dakar Rally 2026 with a double top-10 overall finish. Nacho Cornejo finished seventh, while Ross Branch secured eighth place. Both riders stayed inside the top 10 across all 13 stages despite penalties, crashes and tyre issues.

The Hero 450 Rally completed the entire event without any technical failure. In the final stage, Cornejo placed eighth and Branch finished twelfth, earning 14 and 12 championship points, respectively.

Other Indian participants at the Dakar Rally 2026 included Sanjay Takale, Harith Noah and Jatin Jain across different categories. Takale produced a strong run in the Classic four-wheel class by winning the Prologue, Stage 1 and Stage 2, while leading the H3 category, before an engine failure ended his campaign after Stage 3.

Harith Noah’s rally ended early following a crash in heavy dust during Stage 1 that required medical attention. Jatin Jain, competing in his second Dakar as a privateer, pushed through early setbacks and remained the last Indian rider in the event before a mechanical failure forced his retirement during Stage 6.