Sanders heads into the break in Riyadh on top of the provisional standings after six demanding stages, but his advantage was cut back on Stage 6 after a time penalty turned a dominant ride into a tense end to the opening week.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider looked set to take a commanding buffer into the rest day after setting the pace on Friday, only for a six-minute speeding penalty to undo much of the damage and keep Honda’s Ricky Brabec firmly in contention.
Reflecting on the opening half of the rally, Sanders admitted his Dakar so far has been fast but far from perfect.
“The first week hasn’t been as clean or controlled as we would have liked, and there were a few missed opportunities where we should have capitalized more on the pace we had,” Sanders said.
“My speed and navigation have generally been very strong and physically I feel really good on the bike, but I’ve made some small mistakes that add up in rally racing, especially when you’re trying to build a gap.”
Those issues came to the fore on Stage 6, where Sanders was left frustrated despite feeling comfortable at the front of the field.
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“Stage six was frustrating with the speed penalty caused by an issue with my buzzer, but aside from that the feeling in the sand and on the bike was very positive,” he explained.
Looking ahead to the second half of the rally, Sanders said the emphasis would be on precision rather than outright pace.
“Going into the second week, the focus is on being cleaner, sharper, and making better decisions in the navigation so we can really make the most of what we have,” he added.
KTM rally team manager Andreas Hölzl backed Sanders’ approach, saying the Australian’s speed remains a key strength heading into week two.
“Daniel continues to do a great job and has shown again how high his pace really is,” Hölzl said.
“Although his lead in the overall stands at less than a minute, he definitely has the speed and skill to stretch that out as the race continues.”
Behind Sanders, KTM teammate Luciano Benavides sits third overall after claiming his first stage win of the 2026 rally during the marathon stage, while Brabec has signalled his intent to apply pressure when competition resumes.
With the rest day complete, the Dakar Rally resumes with the start of week two, traditionally the toughest phase of the event. Racing restarts on Stage 7 with an 876-kilometre route from Riyadh, featuring a 462-kilometre timed special.
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