Stage 12 Al Henakiyah → Yanbu 🏅

Even if gaps have not already opened up between the front-runners, there are still opportunities to change the game on such a varied route.

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Last updated on January 22, 2026 16:22 UTC

ℹ️ Stage info ℹ️

Stage 12 Al Henakiyah → Yanbu

The fast tracks will give way to others that are much more winding and narrower. Drivers will also have to venture into riverbeds where anything is possible, while the final small dunes must not be underestimated.

Liaison > 409 km

Special > 311 km

In short, a big win is still possible, provided you have all the right qualities.

📝 We settle for P2 as best stage result in Dakar Rally; Zala’s overall victory within reach 📝

YANBU – After dominating the truck stage results for days, Team De Rooy TFP had to settle for second place on Friday’s twelfth stage, with Vaidotas Zala’s runner-up finish as the team’s best result. Still an excellent result, of course, though the Lithuanian saw his overall lead shrink slightly against stage winner Mitchel van den Brink. Ales Loprais finished fifth.

📝 #604 Nørdis Team de Rooy FPT 📝

“Today reminded us once again that you can only count on the finish once you’re there,” Zala said. “We still have work to do. So far it’s looking good. But it was a really tough day. Really, really tough. There were so many rocks and so many bushes that I wouldn’t have made it through in a car.”

Vaidotas Žala

Paulo Fiuza

Max van Grol

The mission

Zala’s mission was to drive as conservatively as possible and limit how much ground he’d lose to the competition. In the end, only Van den Brink proved faster, gaining nearly seven minutes on the Lithuanian. And that’s despite stopping for a while to help his teammate out of trouble.

“Loprais’ truck was on its side, so we stopped to set him back on his wheels,” Zala said. “I don’t think there’s much damage. But he did lose some time because of it.” Besides that incident, Zala also had to stop for a flat tire. “Overall, it was a much tougher day than I expected. I actually thought the penultimate day would be a normal day, but today was really hard.”

📝 #602 Instatrade Loprais Team de Rooy FPT 📝

Damage limited

Loprais kept the damage to his standings position to a minimum, thanks in part to Zala’s assistance. “Today’s stage threw everything at us,” he said. “Fifty kilometers in, we hit mechanical problems. Despite that, we maintained a decent pace. After a rocky section came the sand.”

He continued: “We rolled onto our side in a soft sand trap, but if we’d dropped straight into it, we never would have made it out. We were lucky Zala was behind us and set us back on our wheels, so I’m grateful for that. We’ll see what the final stage brings tomorrow.”

That will be the closing stage of the 48th edition of the Dakar Rally, a short 138-kilometer loop around Yanbu. The special covers 105 kilometers. “It should be a nice and enjoyable day.”