Dakar 2026 Stage 10: Serradori Wins as Al-Attiyah Reclaims Overall Lead

Stage 10 of the Dakar Rally 2026 delivered another major shake-up in the Ultimate category, as Mathieu Serradori claimed a dominant stage victory while Nasser Al-Attiyah capitalised on rivals’ misfortune to retake the overall lead and strengthen his position as favourite for the outright win.

The 420-kilometre test around Bisha formed the second part of the two-day marathon stage, meaning crews began the day with cars they had serviced themselves overnight, without any external assistance. Mechanical reliability and the quality of overnight repairs therefore played a decisive role from the opening kilometres, particularly on fast sandy sections that punished even minor weaknesses.

Driving the Century CR7, Serradori initially ran second during the opening quarter of the stage, just five seconds behind Mattias Ekstrom in the factory Ford. The complexion of the stage changed dramatically just before the 100km mark, when Ekstrom was forced to stop on track with mechanical issues, handing Serradori a lead he would not relinquish.

From that point onwards, the Frenchman controlled the stage with authority. Serradori steadily extended his advantage over Al-Attiyah through the second half of the day, opening a gap of more than seven minutes by the final checkpoint before the finish. Although he was later handed a two-minute time penalty for speeding, his final winning margin still stood at a commanding 6 minutes 12 seconds.

The result represents only the second Dakar stage victory for both Serradori and Century Racing, following their breakthrough win during Dakar’s first visit to Saudi Arabia in 2020. It also means that five different manufacturers — Ford, Toyota, Dacia, Mini, and Century — have now recorded at least one stage victory at the 48th edition of the event, underlining the depth and competitiveness of the Ultimate category in 2026.

Al-Attiyah, despite finishing second on the stage and receiving a 40-second penalty earlier in the day, emerged as the strategic winner. The Dacia Sandrider driver brought his car home safely and made significant gains in the overall standings, boosting his chances of securing a sixth Dakar title. His team-mate Sebastien Loeb also produced a resilient drive, finishing third — nine minutes behind Serradori — after repairing a power steering issue himself overnight.

Dacia’s strong day was completed by Lucas Moraes, who finished fourth, just 34 seconds behind Loeb. Toyota’s best performer on the stage was Guy Botterill in fifth, while the marque’s main title hope Henk Lategan endured a more difficult day, dropping around 13 minutes on his way to sixth.

By contrast, Stage 10 proved disastrous for Ford. Ekstrom’s early stoppage relegated him to 13th on the stage, losing more than half an hour, while Carlos Sainz suffered major navigational errors and a 15-minute penalty, costing him a total of around 45 minutes. Sainz provisionally finished 19th on the day, effectively ending his hopes of an overall victory.

With much of the Ford contingent struggling, Al-Attiyah moved back into the overall lead, opening a 12-minute advantage over Lategan. Overnight leader Nani Roma slipped to third, a further 50 seconds behind Lategan, while Loeb climbed to fourth overall. Serradori’s stage win elevated him to fifth in the standings, with Ekstrom and Sainz dropping to sixth and seventh respectively, both now more than 30 minutes adrift.

Dakar Rally 2026 – Overall Classification After Stage 10 (Ultimate)

With only a handful of stages remaining, Stage 10 has clarified the shape of Dakar 2026. Consistency, mechanical preservation, and strategic discipline are now decisive, while even small mistakes carry severe consequences. Al-Attiyah has positioned himself strongly, but Dakar history repeatedly shows that no advantage is truly safe until the final finish line is crossed.