Laia Sanz and EBRO Audax Motorsport make history by completing their first Dakar together
The Spanish team has finished the world’s toughest rally in a highly satisfactory 20th place in its debut year.

The EBRO s800 XRR shows great potential and reliability after 8,000 kilometres of challenge in the most extreme conditions.

For the 20-time world champion, this is her 15th finish in 16 participations.

In the final special stage of the race, Sanz and her co-driver Maurizio Gerini finished 18th, 3 minutes and 12 seconds behind the leader.

Mission accomplished! EBRO Audax Motorsport has wrapped up its participation in the Dakar Rally with absolute success. In its debut year at the highest level of competition, the Spanish team not only managed to complete the event, but did so inside the Top 20 (+03h 31:09). Laia Sanz and Maurizio Gerini managed perfectly all the difficulties and challenges posed by the toughest motor race on the planet, proving the competitiveness and reliability of the EBRO s800 XRR.

The Spanish-Italian duo successfully cleared the hurdle of the 13th and final stage— a 105-kilometre special along the Red Sea—finishing 18th (+3:12), the final flourish to 14 days of competition and intense physical and mechanical demands.

“It was a fun stage, with some twisty sections, but the last day is always uncomfortable to face—you’re always afraid something might happen. In the motorcycle category it was very clear that everything can change at the last moment. In fact, a car in front of us rolled over, so in the final part we decided to ease off a bit, since it wouldn’t really change our classification. We’re very happy and we’ve finished with a good feeling. I’m already looking forward to getting back in the car and preparing for the next Dakar,” said Laia Sanz as soon as she stepped out of the car at the finish in Yanbu.

The team’s overall assessment is extraordinary. In its first outing in the top rally-raid category, the EBRO s800 XRR has shown great potential. Sanz and Gerini delivered standout performances, highlighted by 13th place on stage 3 and 14th on stage 4. They also demonstrated remarkable consistency, staying within the top 20 from stage 3 through to the finish.

“It’s very positive that, in the first year of the project, we’ve finished so strongly. It has been one of the Dakars with the greatest quantity and quality of rivals in the car category, with an extremely high level across vehicles, teams and drivers. Having been fighting with the best on some stages should motivate us to come back stronger next year,” adds the Catalan rider, who now totals 15 finishes in 16 participations.

After covering close to 8,000 kilometres in total (almost 5,000 of them timed), crossing the deserts of Saudi Arabia, conquering seas of dunes, rocky tracks, winding roads and flat-out plains, Sanz was very satisfied with her vehicle’s performance: “The EBRO s800 XRR has proved to be a great car. We didn’t have mechanical problems—just an electrical issue that was more down to bad luck than anything else—but the car worked very well and we improved it throughout the race. We have a good base that is competitive and will allow us to be higher up in the future.”

For EBRO, reaching the finish in Yanbu represents the validation of a bold and daring commitment. “Closing Dakar 2026 with such positive results reinforces our belief that the innovation, resilience and spirit of self-improvement we demonstrate every day at EBRO EV MOTORS are not just words: they are facts. Competing in an environment as extreme as Dakar allows us to observe, learn and anticipate the technical challenges that will shape the development of the vehicles of the future. We are proud to show the world that EBRO is a brand with ambition, sound technical judgement and a team ready to build the future through the most demanding challenges,” said Rafael Ruiz, president of EBRO EV MOTORS.

With the success of bringing a historic Spanish brand back to the world elite, EBRO Audax Motorsport ends its first Saudi adventure with its sights set on the next edition.

Source: EBRO Audax Motorsport