Schareina Throws Down the Gauntlet
For three days, the orange army had ruled supreme. KTM stars Edgar Canet and Daniel Sanders split the spoils, stamping their authority across the opening specials. But in AlUla, the script flipped.
Monster Energy Honda HRC struck back—and it was Tosha Schareina who delivered the blow. The Spaniard claimed his first stage victory of 2024, breaking KTM’s grip and announcing himself as a serious contender once again. Runner-up to Sanders last year and in the W2RC standings, Schareina timed his move to perfection as the decisive marathon stage looms. He now sits on the provisional overall podium, just 1’13’’ adrift of his designated rival.
Daniel Sanders’ task was anything but easy. Forced to open the route across 421 kilometres of racing against the clock, the Australian battled both the terrain and the burden of leadership. Only Ricky Brabec was able to shadow him on the tracks—and the American continues to impress. Brabec’s consistency has propelled him into second overall, just 1’07’’ behind Sanders, further underlining Honda’s growing strength in this Dakar.
KTM, meanwhile, lost a little momentum. Edgar Canet couldn’t quite match the leading trio’s pace today and slipped to fourth overall, now 8’46’’ off the lead.
Rally 2: A Category Turned on Its Head
What once looked predictable in Rally 2 has descended into chaos since Yanbu. Neels Theric’s electrical gremlins cost him nearly three hours on the prologue, while Harith Noah’s crash ended his hopes early. Now another pre-race favourite has fallen: Tobias Ebster.
The Austrian, ninth overall and second in Rally 2 last year, suffered a hand injury in a crash and is expected to withdraw. Though technically allowed to continue, his title ambitions are over—leaving the battle to rage between today’s stage winner Mike Docherty and Martim Ventura, who trails the South African by just 3’32’’.
AlUla Rhymes with America
Stage 3 belonged to the stars and stripes.
After Seth Quintero’s win yesterday, it was Mitch Guthrie Jr. who carried the American banner to the top step in AlUla. The son of a US motorsport legend, Guthrie added yet another chapter to his rapid ascent by conquering the 421-kilometre special—his first-ever stage win in the Ultimate class.
Already a proven force with ten Challenger-class stage wins, Guthrie’s switch to the top category paid dividends in 2025 with a fifth-place overall finish. Today, he went one better. On a brutal route littered with punctures, he kept his composure while others faltered—and the reward was not just a stage victory, but the overall lead of the Dakar.
Behind him, Martin Prokop delivered his best-ever Dakar result in second on his 11th attempt, followed by Guy Botterill, Lucas Moraes, and Cristina Gutiérrez, who rounded out the top five at 5’57’’ back.
But the real headline lies deeper in the standings.
Ford’s Iron Grip
The general classification reads like a Ford catalogue. Five Ford Raptors occupy the top five positions: Guthrie leads from Prokop (26’’ back), Mattias Ekström (1’08’’), Carlos Sainz (3’34’’), and Nani Roma (4’02’’). A show of dominance rarely seen in Dakar history.
Nasser Al-Attiyah, dethroned from the race lead, remains firmly in the fight in sixth, just 11’39’’ behind, while teammate Sébastien Loeb sits two places further down, 16’50’’ off the top.
A Historic Top Five for Ford
An American leading the Dakar’s premier category is a rare sight. Only three men have ever done it:
Robby Gordon in 2005 (Barcelona)
Seth Quintero in 2025 (Bisha)
Mitch Guthrie Jr. today—remarkably, deeper into the race than either of his predecessors
Even more astonishing is Ford’s collective dominance. No other manufacturer has locked out the top five overall since Volkswagen achieved the feat in 2007 in Lisbon.
Pressure Mounts on Mévius–Baumel
Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel’s story is one of resilience. After finishing 23rd together in 2025 and returning from the devastating accident that cost Baumel a leg, the four-time Dakar-winning navigator set three goals: start the rally, win a stage, and finish in the top five.
The first two came quickly. Stage 1 victory in Yanbu suggested destiny might be on their side.
Then came AlUla.
A cascade of punctures and costly mistakes shattered their momentum. Forced to borrow—and later return—a spare wheel from Lionel Baud, then rescued by Maria Gameiro for the final 15 kilometres, the duo limped home battered and frustrated.
De Mévius was blunt in his assessment:
“Unfortunately, I think we messed up our Dakar today. We had punctures and made several mistakes. It’s not been an easy day to digest. It’s very frustrating.”
In a Dakar where momentum is everything, the road ahead just became infinitely steeper.
The RacerViews info
By Matt Hancock
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