16/01/2026
Stage win for Mitchel van den Brink, focus on a strong finish
The route from Al-Henakiyah to Yanbu offered plenty of variety, with a few remaining dunes and, above all, many treacherous rocky sections. With 311 kilometers on the clock and 21% rocky tracks, losing time was a risk.
Trucks
Mitchel van den Brink won the penultimate special stage. Starting third on the road, he opted for a fast but controlled pace, perfectly matched to the conditions. A strong stage in which everything came together. For Mitchel it was a special day: going all-in and pushing hard for the win. Despite a puncture and a broken windscreen, the rest of the stage went without further issues.
Martin van den Brink delivered a strong performance and claimed an impressive sixth place. Kay Huzink had a more difficult day, lost time and is still on stage. Gert Huzink appears not to have started today.
In the overall classification, Vaidotas Žala, with only the final 105-kilometer stage remaining, holds a lead of +21:04 over Ales Loprais. Mitchel van den Brink follows in third at +30:22.
Cars
It was a tough day for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa. Guy Botterill was on course for a top-10 result for a long time, but got stuck in the final part of the stage and lost significant time. JoĂŁo Ferreira finished 20th, while Saood Variawa crossed the line in 27th.
Motorcycles
Ian continues to build his Dakar in a sensible way. After another long stage, he finished 36th and now sits 30th in the overall classification. Every kilometer counts.
Tomorrow is the final stage: a short 105-kilometer loop starting and finishing in Yanbu. No room for risks. Stay sharp, finish without issues, and bring this Dakar to a strong close.
Trucks
P1 – V. Žala, Nørdis Team – 56:01:24
P2 – A. Loprais, Team De Rooy +00:21:24
P3 – Mitchel van den Brink, Eurol Rally Sport +00:30:22
P7 – Martin van den Brink, Eurol Rally Sport +07:41:40
KAY HUZINK, KJ Hybrid – TBC and Gert Huzink, KJ Hybrid – TBC
Cars
P11 – Saood Variawa, TGR SA +01:31:01
P14 – Guy Botterill, TGR SA +01:46:44
P19 – João Ferreira, TGR SA +03:25:43
Motorcycles
P30 – Ian Olthof, HT Rally Raid +15:46:21