Nasser Al Attiyah: “I feel more experienced and I feel calmer”

January 2 ^nd 2026 - 10:50 [GMT + 3]

The five times winner of the Dakar has not tasted triumph since 2023 but is still aiming for the top of the rankings alongside his new co-pilot Fabian Lurquin in one of the four Dacia Sandriders and is not intimidated by the density of the competition!

“We’ve spent one week in the bivouac, testing our car, seeing old friends. I have a good feeling and I’m ready. It is also my dream to win with Fabien because we are prepared and we’ll do our best to win this race. The competition is high and we are happy to have this challenge. Our sport is becoming very strong with a lot of constructors, which is also a big point. We are ready and we’ve been driving together for a long time now since Morocco: we did the Qatar Rally in an SSV and won the race. It’s going really very well and we’re trying to do our best. I feel more experienced and I feel calmer. I’m still good on this kind of sandy and rocky terrain. This year, if you look at the two marathon stages, it’s not easy. The second marathon is a long stage with plenty of hours in the car. On some sides, some people think it’s just four hundred kilometres on a marathon day but if you go deep it’s a change in mindset, you need to see how the organisers read it, it’s different from before”.