Dakar Rally 2020: Final Results, Winner Prize Money and Reaction

Rory Marsden @@roomarsdenFeatured ColumnistJanuary 17, 2020

First-placed for the auto category Mini JCW X-RAID Team Spain's driver Carlos Sainz (R), celebrates as he gets out of his car while second-placed Toyota's team Qatar's driver Nasser Al-Attiyah (C) applauds him, on the finish area in Qiddiya at the end of the stage 12 of the Dakar 2020 between Haradh and Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia, on January 17, 2020. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

Carlos Sainz won his third Dakar Rally as he finished fifth in the 12th and final stage of the 2020 edition in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

The Spanish driver finished six minutes, 21 seconds clear of defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah, who prevailed on the final stage into Qiddiya but could not bridge the 10-minute gap to Sainz:

DAKAR RALLY @dakar
The absolute embodiment of sportsmanship: @AlAttiyahN waiting for @CSainz_oficial to congratulate him on his #Dakar2020 triumph. Give it up for those two legends 🙌 📸 A.S.O. / C. Lopez https://t.co/oCPnUKo8Hl

Carlos Sainz @CSainz_oficial
🇪🇸 CAMPEONES! Este 3er Dakar ha sido muy duro pero lo hemos disfrutado! Me sigo divirtiendo, y hemos ido todos los días al ataque. Grande @LucasCruz74 y gracias a todos por vuestro apoyo estas semanas! https://t.co/i1QPHP5mNQ

Here is the final top 10 in the general classification:

1. Carlos Sainz, 42:59:17

2. Nasser Al-Attiyah, +6:21

3. Stephane Peterhansel, +9:58

4. Yazeed Al-Rajhi, +49:10

5. Giniel de Villiers, +1:07:09

6. Orlando Terranova, +1:12:15

7. Bernhard Ten Brinke, +1:18:34

8. Mathieu Serradori, +1:59:21

9. Yasir Saeidan, +3:42:17

10. Wei Han, +3:51:07

For full standings, visit Dakar.com.

Two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso finished 13th in his Dakar debut, nearly five hours back from Sainz:

Andrew Benson @andrewbensonf1
Son @Carlossainz55's tribute to dad @CSainz_oficial, who has just won his third Dakar Rally at the age of 57. Remarkable man. Fernando Alonso was fourth on the final stage and 13th overall after an incident-packed debut on the desert endurance event https://t.co/uXx8F5d7rj

Sainz, 57, and co-driver Lucas Cruz hit the top of the standings after winning Stage 3 and never looked back.

After another win on Stage 5, the X-raid Mini had a six-minute lead, which was then stretched to 10 when Sainz won Stage 7 as well.

It was Stage 10 that clinched it for the 2010 and 2018 champion.

He established an 18-minute buffer over Al-Attiyah and third-placed Stephane Peterhansel with his fourth triumph of the 2020 edition.

That allowed him to play a low-risk game in the final two stages.

Sainz, who will take home $50,000 in prize money, gave back eight minutes on Stage 11 from Shubaytah to Haradh, but his victory was never in doubt over the final stage on Friday.