Ford's Nani Roma survives late crash and fuel drama to keep Dakar podium hopes alive

Roma needed a "miracle" to complete the penultimate stage of Dakar 2026 after running into a series of issues late in the day

Nani Roma described Stage 12 of the 2026 Dakar Rally as “the toughest day of my career” after a late crash, mechanical damage and a fuel shortage nearly ended his podium hopes.

With the finish line in sight, the factory Ford driver lost one of the wheels on his Raptor, completing the timed part of the stage on three wheels.

However, his troubles were not over, as he still needed to complete the transport section of nearly 200km to reach the bivouac in Yanbu.

While his hopes of a third career victory in Dakar were all but over by this phase of the rally, consolidating his second place finish was still vital, especially with other Ford drivers even further behind in the standings.

“I lost a bit of concentration," he told the media including Motorsport.com. "There was wind, dust… and when I looked back at the track, the impact was huge. I locked everything up.”

The car was severely damaged, and several Ford drivers, including Romain Dumas, Mitch Guthrie and Martin Prokop had to step in to help the Spaniard.

Le Mans 24 Hours and Pikes Peak winner Dumas offered his Raptor's front axle in order to help Roma repair his car and reach the finish line.

“Today is, surely, the hardest day of my career. I don’t believe in miracles… but today I do,” he told the media. “Without the team I wouldn’t be here. It’s impossible."

However, there was more drama for Roma, with his Ford running out of fuel just seven kilometres from the bivouac.

This is when Ebro driver Laia Sanz came into the picture. Roma had overtaken her on the route and asked for help. In a striking act of sportsmanship, the Catalan driver towed his Ford to the finish line - a gesture that saved a podium place.

“Yesterday I was saying there are no miracles… this is one," he added.

With just the final stage and more than 100km of timed running remaining, Roma is more than 15 minutes behind Al-Attiyah, who is on course for a sixth career win in Dakar.

Winning the prestigious Touareg trophy is now almost a pipe dream for Roma, holding second place after what he endured feels like a moral victory.

“There comes a moment when you no longer think about the podium. You think about crying,” he said.