Maria Luís Gameiro faced one of the toughest stages of this 2026 Dakar Rally in Stage 9, penalized by problems with the MINI JCW T1+ differential in the middle of the second marathon
The breakdown, caused by hitting a rock while trying to overtake another competitor, forced the pair to drive very slowly, falling behind and receiving a two-minute penalty on a day already marked by complicated navigation for most of the pack.
With no assistance allowed at the “refuge” bivouac, it will now be up to Maria and Rosa to manage the MINI and their physical condition ahead of Stage 10, a huge challenge of 420 km timed with around 300 km of dunes, decisive for the outcome of this Dakar.
Stage 9 of the 2026 Dakar, the first half of the second marathon, once again tested Maria Luís Gameiro's endurance and mentality. On a day that was already very complex in terms of navigation, with countless competitors losing time looking for the right route, the Portuguese driver saw bad luck strike again, this time through a problem with the MINI JCW T1+'s differential.
While trying to overtake a competitor who was making the passing maneuver difficult, the pair strayed slightly from the ideal line and ended up hitting a large rock with the differential. The impact damaged the differential and forced Maria and Rosa Romero to stop in the area designated for tire changes, trying to figure out how far they could “patch up” the situation to continue in the race.
After some possible intervention on site, the stage continued, but in a clearly conditioned mode: the differential started to make a worrying noise, forcing the duo to adopt a much more cautious pace, focused on reaching the finish line rather than fighting for a strong result in the daily classification. Added to this were the navigation difficulties that affected not only Maria and Rosa, but also many other competitors, contributing to a considerable delay on a day when everything conspired to make the challenge even tougher.
Despite everything, the duo managed to reach the “refuge” bivouac, keeping the MINI in working order. The scenario is far from ideal, but the fact that there is still four-wheel drive, albeit with a damaged differential, keeps alive the possibility of tackling the second half of the marathon—and, above all, of continuing to fight to reach the final finish line of this Dakar.
Statements by Maria Luís Gameiro
After another day of intense work, where resilience and determination were needed to reach the end, Maria Luís did not give up and showed impressive spirit for someone who had finished the third consecutive day with problems:
"It was a complicated day, no doubt! The stage was already difficult in terms of navigation, but we still managed to find a way to make it even harder. We were trying to overtake a competitor who wouldn't let us pass, we went a little off track and ended up hitting the differential on one of those big rocks that we couldn't avoid. From then on, our hearts were in our mouths. We stopped at the tire change area to see what we could do there and then. We managed to fix the situation minimally, but the differential was making a terrible noise and, from that moment on, our goal changed: it was no longer to try to do whatever we could, but simply to reach the end. We drove very slowly, listening to the noise and trying to figure out if the car would hold out until the bivouac. As if that weren't enough, we were lost for a while—us and many others. Navigation was really complicated today, and that made us lose even more minutes. Still, in the midst of all this, the most important thing is that we made it to camp. The good thing is that we still have four-wheel drive, the differential still works, I think, even though it's damaged, and that gives us some leeway for tomorrow. We'll have to drive slowly, manage the car very well, and accept that it's not a day for high speeds. I always say that as long as the Dakar lets us drive, I'll keep going. I may go slower, but the important thing is to stay in the race and reach the finish line.”
Stage 10 – The final test in the dunes
Tomorrow, January 14, comes what many consider the ultimate test of this 2026 Dakar: Stage 10, the second half of the marathon, with 420 timed kilometers, of which about 300 kilometers will be pure dunes. It is the biggest sand driving challenge of the entire edition, a real test for machines and drivers.
Maria and Rosa will have to tackle these 420 km with extra caution with a MINI in need of assistance, a scenario that will make the journey even more difficult and demanding. To reach Bisha and end the second marathon – when mechanical assistance returns and X-raid mechanics can finally intervene in depth – it will be necessary to cover 300 km of dunes with no room for error. Preserving the car, making smart decisions at every crest, and mentally and physically enduring one of the most extreme days of the rally will be key to keeping the big goal alive: reaching the end of this Dakar.
Source: Official Press Release
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