Qatar's multi-talented sports icon, Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah will once again compete for the Dacia Sandriders, marking his second consecutive season with the team, and will be partnered this time by Belgian navigator Fabian Lurquin.
DOHA: After winning his fifth Dakar Rally crown in 2023, Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah made it clear that his hunger for success was far from satisfied.
Despite failing to reach the top step of the podium in the last two editions of the grueling event, the Qatari rally legend remains undeterred at the age of 55 as he prepares for the 48th Dakar Rally, which gets underway in Saudi Arabia next week.
A multi-talented sports icon, also an Olympic bronze medallist in shooting, Al Attiyah is pursuing a long-term ambition - to surpass Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel’s record of eight Dakar titles in the car category.
“I am setting myself the target of breaking the record of eight titles, and it will be a long mission. I hope we will be able to achieve this goal, Inshallah, and I will try my best to continue competing in this category,” Al Attiyah had told The Peninsula in 2023, shortly after securing his fifth Dakar Rally victory, during a felicitation ceremony held in his honour.
Fast forward to the build-up for the 2026 edition, and Al Attiyah’s determination remains firmly intact as he sets his sights on a sixth Dakar title during the January 3 to 17 competition. He will once again compete for the Dacia Sandriders, marking his second consecutive season with the team, and will be partnered this time by Belgian navigator Fabian Lurquin.
“This edition of the Dakar should be superb. We are very fortunate to be in Saudi Arabia – the landscapes are incredible. It’s perfect for the Dakar. I’m sure the route will be truly fantastic,” Al Attiyah was quoted as saying by autosport.pt.
“Our objective is to win. We have a powerful team, and I’m sure we’ll be ready. We’ll help each other to win. The significant change is having a new navigator, Fabian. I have complete confidence in him, and he has already competed in all the Dakar rallies in Saudi Arabia. He has a lot of experience,” he added.
Reflecting on his previous campaign, Al Attiyah, who finished fourth overall, said: “Last year we had a bad day. If we remove that bad day, we could have won the Dakar.”
Dacia, which made its Dakar debut last year, will field four Sandriders in the upcoming edition. The team lineup also includes Brazilian defending W2RC champion Lucas Moraes alongside Spanish navigator Armand Monleon; nine-time World Rally Championship winner Sebastien Loeb with navigator Edouard Boulanger; and the Spanish duo of Cristina Gutierrez and Pablo Moreno.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi, who claimed his maiden Dakar title earlier this year, will be aiming to defend his crown after recovering from injuries. Al-Rajhi and his navigator Timo Gottschalk sustained injuries during the Jordan Baja last April.
The Dakar Rally - the world’s most iconic off-road event - will also open the fifth season of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) in 2026, with the start and finish set in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu. Saudi Arabia is hosting the Dakar Rally for a seventh time.
Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) has confirmed that 71 of the 159 crews entered in the 48th edition of the event will be eligible to score points in the opening round of the W2RC.
