Real Dakar Rally start sees popular victory with emotional edge

Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel have taken victory on the first full stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally, with the X-Raid Mini crew emerging fastest in a tightly contested opening test in Saudi Arabia.

The Belgian driver and his French co-driver topped the timesheets on Stage 1 around Yanbu, setting the early benchmark in the Ultimate category. De Mévius finished 40 seconds clear of Nasser Al-Attiyah, while Martin Prokop secured third place to complete the podium.

The result carries added significance due to Baumel’s presence in the cockpit. The four-time Dakar-winning navigator is competing in the rally for the first time since losing his right leg in a serious road accident last year.

Returning with a prosthetic limb, Baumel’s Stage 1 victory marks a remarkable moment in his Dakar career and adds an emotional layer to the opening result.

Despite delivering one of the strongest performances of the day, De Mévius and Baumel were largely absent from live timing during the stage due to transponder issues. Their true pace only became clear at the finish, where the Mini crew emerged as the outright stage winners.

Nasser Al-Attiyah stayed within striking distance throughout the stage in his Dacia, ending the day 1 minute and 20 seconds behind De Mévius. The Qatari remains firmly in the early fight for overall honours.

Martin Prokop produced a measured and trouble-free run to take third place, continuing his record of consistency at the Dakar and positioning himself well in the general classification after the opening test.

Further back, all Ford drivers completed the stage inside the top ten, underlining a solid collective start for the manufacturer. Sébastien Loeb also reached the finish within that leading group, avoiding early setbacks as the rally moves into its longer and more demanding phases.