Alkass English
Mathieu Serradori delivered a breakthrough victory for Century as Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah reclaimed the overall lead on Stage 10 of the Dakar Rally 2026 around Bisha, Saudi Arabia, yesterday.
The 420km test formed the second leg of the marathon stage, with crews forced to race in cars they had serviced themselves overnight, without external assistance. Serradori mastered the demanding conditions to secure his second Dakar stage win, his first since 2020, and a historic maiden victory for the South African Century CR7. It was also a first Dakar stage success for navigator Loïc Minaudier.
Serradori finished 6 minutes 12 seconds clear, despite receiving a two minute penalty for speeding.
Al Attiyah, driving for Dacia, finished second on the day despite a 40 second penalty. The result proved decisive in the overall classification. The Qatari now leads the rally by 12 minutes over South Africa’s Henk Lategan, with Spain’s Nani Roma a further 50 seconds back in third.
Al Attiyah admitted the physical and mental toll of a demanding Dakar Rally stage, but praised his team after pushing hard from start to finish.
“It was very difficult. Not easy at all. It takes a lot from the body and the mind,” Al Attiyah said after the stage, describing the intensity of the challenge in the Saudi desert.
The five-time champion credited his co-driver Fabian for a strong performance, stressing that full commitment was required throughout the day. “We pushed from the beginning until the end. Fabian did a really good job,” he said.
Despite the exhaustion, Al Attiyah was satisfied with the outcome and the car’s reliability. “We are very happy and also a bit lucky, because we knew today would be a difficult day,” he added, before joking about the physical strain. “The car was okay. No problem. Except me. I am completely destroyed.”
Adrien Van Beveren claimed the stage win, French rider’s seventh Dakar stage success. The result lifted the Monster Energy Honda HRC rider to sixth overall, leaving him around an hour adrift of race leader and teammate Ricky Brabec.