AL-ULA: Sebastien Loeb (Prodrive) claimed his fourth victory of this year’s Dakar Rally on Tuesday, taking the honors on stage nine in Saudi Arabia, while Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) made it a French double by winning on the bikes.
Neither, however, has control of the overall standings with Carlos Sainz (Audi) leading the cars and Ricky Brabec (Honda) the bikes.
Stage nine included 400km of special stage, which featured dunes, complicated navigation and rocky, sandy tracks as the competitors made their way between Hail and Al-Ula.
Nine-time world rally champion Loeb clocked up his 27th stage victory on the Dakar, clawing back 4 minutes 14 seconds from Sainz.
But he remains provisionally 20min 33sec behind the 61-year-old Spaniard with time running out before Friday’s final stage finish in Yanbu, on the shores of the Red Sea.
“It was a good day for us, a long stage,” said Loeb.
“We had two punctures in the middle of the stage so at the end I had to be a bit careful and not have a third one.
“The gap is still big, but we still have three stages to go. So, we’ll see and we’ll continue to push for the next three days.”
Sainz, already a two-time winner of the Dakar, also had a tough time behind the wheel but found good support from his Audi teammates Mattias Ekstrom and Stephane Peterhansel.
“I waited for Carlos for six minutes at the start to escort him throughout the special, always 30 seconds behind just in case,” said 14-time Dakar winner Peterhansel.
“You could see that he was hesitating a few times, which isn’t too bad a thing when navigating, but it still wasn’t an easy stage.
“Carlos is in a good position. But Sebastien is capable of recovering 10 minutes a day, or even more if he goes to the limit.
“So, I can understand why Carlos is stressed. Having 20-25 minutes is good, but if you have a technical problem, you lose them very quickly.”
Another Frenchman Mathieu Serradori (Century) took a fine third place, 4min 43sec behind Loeb.
French biker Van Beveren claimed his second victory on this year’s rally, finishing just 42sec ahead of his Honda teammate Ricky Brabec who retains the overall lead.
“It was a tough day but a good day,” said Van Beveren.
“It was really, really difficult. I tried my best, I really tried to be consistent and I think it was a good stage. I gave my all. I have no regrets for today.”
Brabec finished strongly and widened the gap to Ross Branch (Hero), running second in the overall, to 7min 9sec.
“I lost my rear brakes just before refueling, so another stage with no rear brakes was a little bit tough but, all in all, it was good,” said Brabec.
The American now has his eyes on a decisive performance on Wednesday’s 10th stage when the competitors will have to slalom their way through the stunning monumental rocks of the Al-Ula region over a 371km special.
“I think tomorrow we’re probably going to have to open, but if I can clean up tomorrow...”
Van Beveren rode at the front for much of the stage, claiming bonuses that moved him up to third place overall, 11min 16sec behind Brabec.
The race was more complicated for Chile’s Ignacio Cornejo (Honda), who finished 10min 07sec behind Van Beveren and dropped to fourth overall, 13min 46sec off the lead.
Pablo Quintanilla was too far back to challenge the front two but completed a Honda sweep of the podium, finishing 4min 29sec behind the winner.
French double in Dakar Rally as Loeb and Van Beveren win stage nine
https://arab.news/8h9th
French double in Dakar Rally as Loeb and Van Beveren win stage nine
- Nine-time world rally champion Loeb clocked up his 27th stage victory on the Dakar, clawing back 4 minutes 14 seconds from Sainz
- “It was a good day for us, a long stage,” said Loeb
E1 World Championship opens 2026 season in Jeddah with expanded field, growing global profile
- Season’s opener features record 10 teams
JEDDAH: The 2026 UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF will launch its new season in Jeddah, with the Red Sea city once again hosting the world’s first all-electric raceboat series, and champions Team Brady beginning their title defense against an expanded and competitive field.
Set against Jeddah’s Red Sea coastline, the season-opening E1 Jeddah GP 2026, which takes place over Jan. 23-24, will feature a record 10 teams racing the cutting-edge E1 RaceBirds, underlining the rapid growth of the championship and its ambitions as a global competition spanning four continents.
Team Brady are the outfit to beat, having claimed the Champions of the Water title in 2024 and 2025. However, competition is expected to be fiercer than ever, with several teams strengthening their lineups ahead of the new campaign.
Team Monaco and Sierra Racing Club join the championship for 2026, adding further depth to the grid with a mix of experienced and emerging pilots. Team Rafa, who finished just 11 points behind Team Brady last season after a title fight that went down to the final laps, are widely regarded as one of the leading contenders and will be aiming to make an early statement in Jeddah.
Team AlUla Championed by LeBron James also return to race on home waters, one year on from their E1 debut. Carrying local pride, the team will be looking to build on last season’s momentum in front of Saudi fans.
The world-class field is further strengthened by a roster of high-profile, celebrity-backed teams, including Will Smith’s Team Westbrook, DJ Steve Aoki’s Team Aoki, Team Drogba, led by football legend Didier Drogba and his partner Gabrielle Lemaire, and Team Miami, featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Marc Anthony.
Fans will be able to get close to the action across qualifying and race day, with on-water viewing available from the E1 Fan Zone. The area will give visitors the chance to see the E1 RaceBirds up close and will feature a gaming arena with simulator and virtual reality experiences, as well as a VOX cinema screening of “Zootopia 2.” Merchandise outlets and a range of food and beverage options will also be available, creating a family-friendly race-day experience.
Beyond the racing, E1’s return to Saudi Arabia reflects the Kingdom’s growing role in shaping the future of electric sport and sustainable mobility. The championship serves as a living laboratory for electric propulsion systems, accelerating innovation that can influence marine transport while also supporting broader conversations around ocean protection.
As part of its partnership with E1, Formula E’s Driving Force Presented by PIF E360 is hosting its educational program in Jeddah this week. The initiative aims to inspire students aged 8 to 18 to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as sustainability, through the lens of electric racing.
The program reached more than 60,000 students globally in 2025 alone, with a further 50,000 targeted this year, taking its reach to over 100,000 young people worldwide.
On the sporting side, PIF’s commitment to excellence will again be recognized through the PIF Pilot of the Day award, presented after finals day to honor standout skill and performance over the race weekend.
Alejandro Agag, founder and chairman of E1, said: “Starting our 2026 season in Jeddah is a powerful statement for E1. The region represents ambition, innovation and a clear vision for the future, and the Red Sea provides the perfect environment as our largest grid yet of 10 teams begin their battle to be crowned 2026 Champions of the Water.”
The Jeddah race is set to deliver high-intensity competition, renewed rivalries and an early glimpse into the future of high-performance racing on water.
