Aliyyah Koloc remained the sole Buggyra ZM Racing representative in the 2026 Dakar Rally as the event resumed on Sunday with stage 7 from Riyadh to Wadi Ad Dawasir. In the Ultimate category, the 21-year-old brought her Red-Lined REVO T1+ to the finish of the demanding 460-kilometer special stage, closing the day in 56th position.
Together with her navigator Marcin Pasek, Aliyyah faced more setbacks, including a technical issue early in the stage that required her to stop for repairs. “It was another long day that had a bit of everything: dunes, fast sections, and slow rocky parts. Unfortunately, around kilometer 50, we had an oil leak, so we had to stop and try to fix it, which cost us time ,” said Aliyyah.
The delay dropped the crew into heavy dust behind other competitors, complicating both pace and navigation. “Today we spent a lot of time in the dust, and it will be similar tomorrow, because we’ll be starting from the back again,” she added.
The closing kilometers brought another setback: “About 40 kilometers from the finish, we had a puncture and had to change the wheel,“ Aliyyah explained. The crew reached the finish wihtout further incidents. The Dakar continues tomorrow with stage 8, a loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir featuring 481 kilometers against the clock and 236 kilometers of liaison. Reliability and careful tire management are expected to play a key role as the second week of the Dakar challenges the remaining competitors.
Source: Buggyra
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