Dacia went from making rugged road cars to winning the Dakar rally and nobody saw it coming
Published on Jan 21, 2026 at 9:08 PM (UTC+4)
by Grace Donohoe
Last updated on Jan 21, 2026 at 9:08 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Dacia is well known by drivers all over the globe for making budget daily drivers, but it turns out that the company also dominates the competition sphere at the Dakar rally.
The brand soared to success at the event in Saudi Arabia, with all of its teams finishing with respectable times.
A far cry from the shop floor of dealerships you might have visited, the teams battled with high temperatures and rough surfaces to soar to success.
Lasting 13 days and covering a total distance of 7,976km, the team took home two stage appearances and the big win.
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Dacia dominated the Dakar rally in style
The Dakar rally is known to be one of the toughest car races, pitting cars against rugged terrain and extreme conditions, but Dacia has proven that anything is possible
The car company competed in the 48th edition of the competition, with team members dominating the podium with success across the board.
However, rally racing isn’t the activity that you’d imagine Dacia to partake in.
The brand is best known for releasing roadworthy cars such as the Duster and Sandero.
But get ready to be impressed.
For one driver in particular, the Dakar rally victory was his sixth triumph, and the third win taking place in Saudi Arabia.
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The company has only ever competed at the event twice
Yes, that’s right, on the second-ever entry, the Dacia Sandriders shot to success.
Nasser Al-Attiyah and Fabrain Lurquin achieved success in a time of almost 10 minutes ahead of three other crews.
It all happened after the penultimate run, where Nasser Al-Attiyah dominated the final stage with a lead of 16m 2s, along with Fabian Lurquin.
“I feel really great. We worked very hard me and Fabian and also the rest of the team. I am sure we will work even harder next year to put three Dacia Sandriders on the podium,” winner Nasser Al-Attiyah said.
The track consisted of gravel in amongst a terrain of mountains, with the pair ending up being victorious by a mighty 9m 42s.
Sébastien Loeb and Édouard Boulanger ever-so-slightly missed out on claiming third place, missing the stage 13 win by just eight seconds.
Lucas Mores, the defending world champion, and navigator Dennis Zens came seventh, with Mores competing in his first event with the Dacia team.
Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno also managed to bump up to 11th place after recording an impressive achievement of the 10th-best time on the stage that decided it all.
“To have all our four cars finishing inside the top 11 is really impressive and testament to the efforts of our brilliant team.
“While it’s important to have some rest, the hard work doesn’t stop as winning the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship remains the target,” Dacia Sandrider Team Principal Tiphanie Isnard said.
So there you go, the brand is one to watch in the world of motorsports and a great reputation to uphold.
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Beginning her career as a lifestyle reporter and social-media manager, Grace joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025. Since coming on board, has thrown herself into the busy daily writing schedule. Her editorial sweet spots include writing about luxury properties and the quirky features inside them that the one percent are investing in, as well as groundbreaking advancements in space exploration.
