Why defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi retired from Dakar 2026 stage 4
Last year, Yazeed Al-Rajhi made history by becoming the first Saudi driver to win the Dakar Rally in the car category. Together with navigator Timo Gottschalk, the pair began the defence of their title on 3 January in Yanbu but, after just four stages, that mission has come to an early end. During the first […]
Defending Dakar winner Yazeed Al-Rajhi explains disastrous opening stage
Defending car champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi faces an uphill battle at the 2026 Dakar Rally after a troubled opening stage, in which he lost significant time and incurred a heavy penalty. Shortly after his Dakar victory in 2025, Al-Rajhi and navigator Timo Gottschalk suffered injuries that forced them to miss several rounds of the World Rally-Raid […]