A equipa espanhola consolida a 20.ª posição na classificação geral dos automóveis, a faltar apenas uma jornada para terminar o rali.
Na 12.ª e penúltima etapa, Laia Sanz e Maurizio Gerini terminaram num sólido 18.º lugar.
A dupla hispano-italiana protagonizou o gesto solidário do dia ao rebocar Nani Roma nos últimos seis quilómetros da ligação, salvando assim o segundo lugar da geral para o piloto catalão.
EBRO Audax Motorsport can already see the final finish line. After completing the 12th and penultimate stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally, the Spanish team is just one step away from achieving a historic feat: finishing in the Top 20 of the overall classification in its official debut year in the car category with the EBRO s800 XRR.
Today’s stage, held between Al Henakiyah and Yanbu, was an exercise in endurance and strategic management. Aware of their solid position in the standings, Laia Sanz and Maurizio Gerini tackled the 311-kilometre special with a clear premise: avoid unnecessary risks that could compromise the work done since the race began on January 3.
The stage was not without difficulties, featuring a terrain that was a compendium of all the surfaces encountered in this 48th edition of the world’s toughest rally: fast tracks, rocky sections, winding areas, dry riverbeds, and a final stretch of dunes. The Catalan driver and her Italian co-driver started at a good pace, but an early puncture forced them to adapt their driving to the team’s main objective. In the end, they completed the timed section in a solid 18th place (+20:56) and held 20th in the overall classification (+03:36:45).
“It was a short but very tough stage, because there were a lot of rocks—more than I expected. We got a puncture quite early in the special, and that meant we had to keep a very steady pace. Given where we are in the overall standings, we can’t really move up, and unless something unusual happens, we shouldn’t drop back either, so I think what we had to do was simply finish,” says Laia Sanz.
The 20-time world champion highlights her satisfaction with how well they are managing the rally, but she is not celebrating yet: “We’re very happy with how everything is going. We’ve brought the car to the finish, staying alert and taking care of the mechanics, which is what this was all about. Tomorrow will be a shorter day, but we need to stay focused until the end. The Dakar isn’t over until you cross the finish line.”
Solidarity in the desert: a rescue worth a second place
The most photographed and recorded moment of the day came when Laia Sanz’s EBRO s800 XRR arrived at the Yanbu bivouac towing the car of Nani Roma and Alex Haro, who had run out of fuel six kilometres from the end of the liaison. They had practically used up the maximum time allowed by the organisers, which meant they were at risk of receiving a penalty that could have seriously jeopardised their virtual second place in the overall classification.
At that exact moment, Laia Sanz and Maurizio Gerini reached their position and did not hesitate to help. The EBRO Audax Motorsport crew connected both vehicles with a towing strap and pulled the Ford into the camp. Once again, Sanz and Gerini’s act of solidarity helped save a rival’s rally—an authentic display of the so-called Dakar spirit.
This Saturday, the 2026 Dakar Rally will come to an end with the 13th and final stage in Yanbu. It will be a short special of 105 kilometres, a final formality before the podium ceremony, where EBRO Audax Motorsport hopes to celebrate a result that confirms the success of this bold and young sporting project.
Source: EBRO Audax Motorsport
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