Dakar Rally 2026 Registers Early Exits Across Multiple Categories
- Jan 8
- 1 min read
Riyadh, Jan 8 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – The Dakar Rally 2026 has registered a series of early withdrawals across bikes, cars and trucks as the competition advances through its opening stages in Saudi Arabia.
Several teams in the bikes category confirmed withdrawals. France’s Nicolas Horeaux retired with fractures to his shoulder and pelvis, while Spain’s Lorenzo Santolino exited due to major mechanical failure. India’s Harith Noah withdrew after requiring urgent medical intervention. Additional retirements included Slovakia’s Stefan Svitko with a shoulder injury, Britain’s James Hillier following an arm injury and Spain’s Ricardo Lastra, who was declared stable after a fall in the early stages.
In the cars division, defending champion Yazeed Al Rajhi ended his run after repeated tire failures disrupted his performance across multiple sectors. Germany’s Daniel Schroder of PS Laser Racing also withdrew after a rollover incident left his vehicle unable to continue.
Withdrawals were also reported in the truck category. Saudi driver Bader Albarrak and French teammates Marco Piana and Paco Fernandez halted their effort without providing details, while Spain’s Raul Pascual and Marco Antonio Cabrera of Pedregà Team exited for undisclosed reasons.
The rally, now in its seventh edition in the Kingdom, continues across desert terrain including stages around AlUla. Multiple early exits have created an open field as teams prepare for the next phases of the event.
