January 9, 2026

FIRST WEEK DAKAR 2026: YOUNG TALENT IMPRESSES!

After six demanding Dakar stages, the Eurol participants are enjoying a well-earned rest day in Riyadh. Notably, young talent is delivering surprisingly strong performances across Eurol Rallysport, Toyota GAZOO Racing SA and Kuipers-Jongbloed. Read the summary of the first week here.

Trucks

The first six stages have proven to be a true test of endurance for the trucks. Of the 45 trucks that started the rally, only 12 remain in contention for the overall classification, according to the organisers’ statistics.

Mitchel van den Brink and his crew from Eurol Rallysport made an excellent start by winning the prologue and taking the lead in the overall classification during the opening stages. In stage 4, Mitchel lost 12 minutes to Martin Macik, who became the new overall leader. However, in stage 6 Macik lost significant time, allowing Mitchel to reclaim the lead. Macik, Loprais and Zala are all within one hour of the lead, promising an exciting second half of the Dakar Rally. Martin van den Brink is acting as fast assistance for Mitchel. Despite encountering major issues in stage 2, he remains inside the top 10 of the overall classification.

At Kuipers-Jongbloed, rookie Kay Huzink and his crew have been the major surprise. Kay is driving a consistent rally, finishing in the top 10 every day and even securing second place in stage 5. As a result, he now holds fifth place overall. His uncle, Gert Huzink, made a strong start and even won stage 2. In stage 5, however, he lost four-wheel drive and was forced to retire. Gert Huzink and his crew are now continuing the rally as a Dakar Experience Team in support of Kay.

Overall classification – Trucks:

1 MITCHEL VAN DEN BRINK, Eurol Rallysport 28:04:08 hrs
2 Martin Macik, MM Technology + 35:24 min.
3 Ales Loprais, De Rooy + 46:10 min.
5 KAY HUZINK, KUIPERS-JONGBLOED + 2:11:01 hrs
9 MARTIN VAN DEN BRINK, Eurol Rallysport + 4:30:01 hrs

Cars

The three drivers from the South African branch of the Toyota GAZOO Racing factory team are well positioned to challenge for a strong overall result. Competition from the Dacia factory drivers, TGR WRC and Ford factory teams remains fierce. In the latest stage, Nasser Al Attiyah took over the overall lead from Henk Lategan. At this point, Saood Variawa is the fastest Toyota driver in the classification after Lategan. As with the trucks, young talent is once again making an impact with consistent performances and regular top-10 finishes. Guy Botterill achieved the team’s best stage result with a third place in stage 3.

Overall classification – Cars:

1 Nasser Al Attiyah, Dacia 24:18: 29 hrs
2 HENK LATEGAN, TGR WRC + 6:10 min.
3 Nani Roma, Ford + 9:13 min.
11 SAOOD VARIAWA, TGR SA + 29:31 min.
12 JOAO FERREIRA + 31:56 min.
17 GUY BOTTERILL +1:03:06 hrs

Motorcycles

Ian Olthof, competing as part of the HT Rally Raid Team, is riding the Dakar Rally with the primary goal of finishing rather than chasing results. Nevertheless, his 44th position among the 97 remaining riders in the overall classification can be considered an excellent achievement. Ian experienced a difficult third stage due to a shoulder injury but recovered well in the stages that followed.

Overall classification – Motorcycles:

1 Daniel Sanders, KTM Factory +24:01:00 hrs
2 Ricky Brabec, Honda HRC + 0:45 min.
3 Luciano Benavides, KTM Factory + 10:15 min.
44 IAN OLTHOF, HT RALLY RAID + 8:22:43 hrs

Six demanding stages remain before the finish on 17 January in Yanbu. Follow Eurol on social media to stay up to date!

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