P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Daniel Sanders maintains his 2026 Dakar Rally lead after the longest stage of the rally on Friday.
Daniel Sanders is currently leading the 2026 Dakar Rally after Stage 6, which covered over 900km in total. During the 326km special stage, Sanders placed third, falling 1’17’’ behind stage winner Ricky Brabec due to penalty time for speeding. Brabec is now only 45 seconds behind Sanders overall, with Luciano Benavides in third place, trailing 9’30’’ behind Brabec. Toscha Schareina is in a close battle for third place, less than two minutes behind Benavides after picking up a penalty on Thursday. Nasser Al-Attiyah has surged into the lead of the Ultimate class by over six minutes, displacing previous leader Henk Lategan. Sebastien Loeb’s strong performance has propelled him to sixth overall, chasing a podium finish just 10 minutes away. The 2026 Dakar Rally will resume on Sunday after a rest day, with a challenging stage from Riyadh to Wadi Ad Dawasir ahead.
