YANBU, Saudi Arabia — The 2024 Dakar Rally concluded with one of the most dramatic finishes in motorsport history as Argentine rider Luciano Benavides captured his first motorbike title by a mere two seconds following a catastrophic navigational error by American rival Ricky Brabec just kilometers from the finish. This marks the narrowest victory margin ever recorded in the event’s storied history.
Meanwhile, Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah secured his sixth car category title with a calculated performance on the 13th and final stage, a 105-kilometer sprint along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast to Yanbu.
The motorbike competition appeared destined for Brabec’s third Dakar victory as the Honda rider entered the final stage with a commanding 3-minute, 20-second advantage over Benavides’ KTM. Brabec was collecting valuable time bonuses for opening the route while maintaining a strong pace.
The race dynamics shifted irrevocably when Brabec made a critical wrong turn approximately seven kilometers from the finish line. Benavides, maintaining his trajectory, witnessed his rival’s error in real-time. “I saw a headlight turn around and slowed to see who it was,” Benavides recounted. “When I realized it was Ricky, I knew the almost impossible was suddenly possible.”
The Argentine rider capitalized on the opportunity, finishing second on the stage to teammate Edgar Canet while Brabec arrived 3 minutes and 22 seconds later. The stunning reversal triggered emotional celebrations from Benavides’ team, who hoisted their champion while chanting his name.
“It’s unreal,” an elated Benavides stated. “Two seconds after two weeks and almost 8,000 kilometers is something that is hard to understand.” The previous closest margin of victory stood at 43 seconds, achieved by Benavides’ brother Kevin in 2023.
Brabec’s Honda teammate Tosha Schareina completed the podium in a distant third position.
Benavides’ victory appears particularly remarkable considering he began his ninth Dakar attempt without any prior podium finishes and just three months after sustaining serious knee ligament injuries during the Moroccan Rally. Even during the event’s second week, he rode in the shadow of defending champion and teammate Daniel Sanders, who dominated until crashing on Wednesday and sustaining broken collarbone and sternum injuries.
In the car category, Al-Attiyah secured his historic sixth title with a conservative final drive, finishing nearly nine minutes behind stage winner Mattias Ekström. The Qatari driver ultimately defeated second-place finisher Nani Roma by 9 minutes and 42 seconds, marking his first victory with manufacturer Dacia. Al-Attiyah has now won Dakar with four different manufacturers across his illustrious career.
Roma, the 2014 champion, earned his first podium finish since 2019, while Ekström’s Ford edged Sébastien Loeb’s Dacia by 37 seconds for third place overall.
