F1Weekly Podcast # 1130

RED BULL UNVEILS THEIR 2026 LIVERY….BORING
NASSER AL ATTIYAH WINS HIS SIXTH DAKAR TITLE
BENAVIDAS WINS THE BIKE CLASS BY ONLY 2 SECONDS
FORD AND CADILLAC ALREADY EXCHANGING INSULTS AND
FERNANDO…SHOWING OFF HIS CAR COLLECTION IN. MONACO!

THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER…MORE VINTAGE BANTER BETWEEN THE HOST AND NASIR…PERFECT FOR RELAXATION! 
NEXT WEEK WE HAVE EDDIE CHEEVER!!

Benavides Hits Back For Historic 2026 Dakar
Rally Title As Al-Attiyah Wins Again!

Argentine wins maiden Bike title by just two seconds while Baciuška
dominates Stock category for glory.

Argentina’s Luciano Benavides hit back from a 3m20s deficit at the start of
the final Stage 13 to win the 2026 Dakar Rally Bike title in thrilling fashion
by just two seconds – the smallest margin in Dakar history – for Red Bull
KTM Factory Racing as Lithuanian Rokas Baciuška also claimed a maiden
title in the Stock class and Nasser Al-Attiyah held his nerve to wrap up a
sixth Ultimate class title. Here is all you need to know:

– Benavides looked to have blown his chance on Friday as Honda rival Ricky
Brabec overtook him in the overall standings, however the 30-year-old was
in no mood to back down and rode superbly on Saturday in the final sprint
to the Yanbu finish and pip the American – who made a late navigational
error – to glory by just two seconds.

– It is the smallest margin of title victory in Dakar history, the Salta native
joining his older brother Kevin as Dakar champions on two wheels after his
title wins in 2021 and then 2023 for KTM. Making Benavides’ victory even
more incredible in Saudi Arabia were the knee and shoulder injuries that he
sustained just three months ago.

– Luciano admitted: “I cannot believe it! I never stopped dreaming. To win
by just two seconds is unreal. I woke up today full of motivation and
energy, trusting myself to do what I can. That’s the key to success at the
Dakar. My brother Kevin won by 43 seconds in 2023 and that was the
closest finish ever. Now I’ve won by two seconds. Two seconds after two
weeks and over 8,000km is hard to believe.”

– With Spaniard Tosha Schareina rounding out the podium, Red Bull KTM
Factory Racing teammates Daniel Sanders and Edgar Canet also finished
after experiencing a rollercoaster two weeks in the desert. Reigning Bike
champion Sanders suffered a broken collarbone on Wednesday, but dug

deep to end up in fifth just over an hour behind while Spaniard Canet, 20,
won three stages including the final one.

– Sanders, 31, said: “At the finish I was in so much pain I just wanted to lie
down. Then they told me Luciano had won, so I rushed over to congratulate
him. That’s the Dakar, it’s never over until it’s over. I’m just happy to make
it to the finish line.” Canet added: “I’m happy for all the KTM family. We
show all the time that we have the fastest bike.”

– Baciuška already had three overall Dakar podium finishes in his locker –
two in the SSV class and one in Challenger – however he went one better
with a dominant Stock class performance over the two weeks that saw him
bank seven stage victories en route to a 3hr58m victory from Defender
Dakar D7X‑R teammate Sara Price with 14-time Dakar champion Stéphane
Peterhansel finishing back in fourth.

– Baciuška, 26, declared: “It’s amazing for Defender to win in their first year.
This is my fifth Dakar and I’m bringing home my first win. The team did a
big job and missed out on a lot of sleep.”

– The Ultimate class did not go right down to the wire like many thought
heading into the second week as Qatari Al-Attiyah drew on all his rally-raid
experience to keep a comfortable cushion in his Dacia Sandrider from the
challengers behind to win his sixth Dakar title. The Ford Raptor T1+ of
Spaniard Nani Roma was second and his Swedish teammate Mattias
Ekström third – just like his 2025 result.

– Al-Attiyah, 55, revealed: “From the start we believed we could win this
race. We started from zero with this Dacia project and we’ve developed the
car so much. Now we’ve won the Dakar. Thank you to my co-driver Fabian
and thank you to the team. I’m so happy to win the Dakar for the sixth
time.”

– Frenchman Sébastien Loeb was frustrated again in his title quest finishing
fourth with Spanish legend Carlos Sainz fifth, Brazilian Lucas Moraes
seventh, former two-time Bike champion Toby Price of Australia eighth and
young American Seth Quintero also earning a top-10 Ultimate finish in
ninth.
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– Spaniard Cristina Gutiérrez, American Mitch Guthrie Jr, Spain’s Laia Sanz,
South African Henk Lategan and Belgian Guillaume De Mévius can also be
pleased with their efforts over the gruelling, tricky terrain especially the
latter whose French co-driver Mathieu Baumel sported a new prosthetic leg.

The Challenger class was packed full of encouraging daily performances
from both Argentine Kevin Benavides – who finished seventh on the back of
an excellent second week – and local Saudi driver Dania Akeel, who was
consistently on the podium to cheer the home fans out supporting her in
eighth.

– Benavides, 37, said: “It’s an historic day for our family and an historic day
for the Dakar. I’m so proud of my brother Luciano. It was a tough start to
life on four wheels in the first week, but we didn’t give up.” Akeel, 37,
added: “We made it to the finish line, which is the most important thing you
can do at the Dakar. I had one too many punctures on Stage 3 and that put
me back.”

– Finally in the SSV class, Swedish debutant Johan Kristoffersson can be
proud of his first Dakar tilt after he overcame going upside down in the
opening Prologue to bounce back for stage podium finishes and an eighthplace finish while three-time Dakar champion Francisco ‘Chaleco’ López
won one stage in ending sixth overall.

– Kristoffersson, 37, said: “It’s been two very eventful weeks. It started off
really tough and from there we got up to a better road position. Then it
started getting really enjoyable.”

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Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Prepares for Transition in Leadership, Vince Finaldi Joins Team as President.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (January 15, 2026) — Soon after the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance hosts its 75th celebration in August, this global gathering of automotive greats will undergo a significant transition. On October 1, after a remarkable tenure of 40 years at the helm, Concours Chairman Sandra Button will step back from day-to-day operational leadership and into a new role as Brand Ambassador & Strategic Advisor.

As part of that transition, and after an extensive search for Button’s successor, Vince W. Finaldi joins the team today as Concours President.

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“It has been a great honor to lead this event in recent decades,” said Button, “but it is time for the next generation of car lovers to come to the fore. Vince is a car guy through and through, and I know he has both a passion and a heart for this event. He also has a willingness to ask important questions and listen, to think deeply and work collegially, so I have every confidence that he will continue to build successfully on the great legacy of this event. I look forward to working with him in the coming months and years, doing all that I can to support him and the Concours.”

Finaldi, a respected trial attorney, legal strategist, and former US Marine, grew up in the car world. His grandfather moved from Italy to the US and worked for General Motors in the 1920s, then returned home to open his own auto shop, where his sons—Vince’s father among them—were employed. They subsequently opened their own auto shops in the US. From a very young age, Vince was steeped in all aspects of the car hobby, from purchase and sale to preservation and repair. Over time, he became an ardent collector of significant historical automobiles, auto books, and automobilia. In recent years, as he began to transition away from his full-time law practice to devote more time to cars, Finaldi opened his own auto shop, Finaldi, Inc., in the Monterey Bay area. That pursuit will now be put on hold as he takes on the responsibility of overseeing the world’s leading collector car competition.

Replacing Button, who is often cited as one of the most influential people in the collector car world, will not be easy. Under her tenure, the Pebble Beach Concours has consistently ranked as the top event of its kind in the world. She strengthened the leadership team, instituting both a Selection Committee and an Advisory Board. She increased the range of cars shown on the Concours show field, added events, and expanded its reach globally.

“I look forward to working diligently with both the Pebble Beach Concours and Pebble Beach Company teams, including Sandra and Martin Button, to build on the legacy of the Concours, ensuring it remains the pinnacle concours, while also continuing to increase its charitable giving,” said Finaldi.

Finaldi continued, “I don’t foresee major changes. That said, the Concours is not a static event. It evolves constantly because cars are always changing, tastes change, and new events spring up, and Sandra has done a masterful job at anticipating and supporting important changes to keep the Concours at the forefront of motoring events while honoring its storied past. That philosophy will continue, and I look forward to working with the Concours Selection Committee, our Advisory Board, entrants, judges, volunteers, sponsors, and our team to continue to seek opportunities to enhance this iconic event.”

For more information on the Pebble Beach Concours, visit www.pebblebeachconcours.net.

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