There’s no let up at the 2026 Dakar Rally as Stage 3 saw tyres popping on the rock fields of Saudi Arabia. The 422-kilometre loop stage around the Al-Ula bivouac rewarded surefooted competitors who managed to steer a path through the boulders. Punctures were an inevitability and even reaching the finish line of the stage was an achievement to be celebrated.
The Ford Raptors roared on Stage 3 to dominate the Ultimate class. Maintaining 2026’s trend of the Dakar’s next generation of talent taking centre stage is 29-year-old Mitch Guthrie Jr. The American racing driver blasted through the 422-kilometre loop around the Al-Ula bivouac, claiming his first-ever Ultimate class stage win and climbing to the top of the overall rankings.
« It’s my first stage win in the Ultimate class and I really don’t know what to say. We started towards the back and had a really clean day. Kellon killed it on the navigation. We had no flat tyres and kept moving all day. We pushed when we could and backed off in the rocky sections. » – Mitch Guthrie Jr.
Following closely behind Guthrie Jr. were all three of his Ford M-Sport team-mates. Once Stage 3 times had been added to the running total, Mattias Ekström, Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma were all placed inside the Top 5 of the general classification.
« We got two punctures so this forced us to reduce our speed for the last 50km. We’re happy to make it to the finish. It’s great for the team that Mitch wins the stage. » – Nani Roma
The closest competitor to the Ford Raptors ahead of Stage 4 is current World Rally-Raid Championship title holder Lucas Moraes. The Brazilian drove last season in a Toyota Hilux, but for 2026 he’s switched cars to a Dacia Sandrider.
« It was another proper Dakar stage. Yesterday was supposed to be the rocky stage, but this one was rocky as well. We had a clean run with just a couple of navigation errors. It’s good to claw some time back. Every day I’m feeling better in my new Dacia car. » – Lucas Moraes
The jagged rocks that have been a feature of these opening Dakar stages were once again bursting tyres on the stage. Among those suffering punctures on the loop around the Al-Ula bivouac were the Toyota Gazoo Racing trio of Henk Lategan, Toby Price and Seth Quintero.
« This stage was just a puncture waiting to happen. At one point we got two punctures inside two kilometres and from there we just tiptoed across the rocks. » – Henk Lategan
In the Stock category it was a return to winning ways for Stéphane Peterhansel. The 14-time Dakar winner opened his account of stage wins as a Defender Dakar D7X‑R driver with a near faultless run around Al-Ula. Monsieur Dakar’s Stage 3 win helped him reel in Stock class leader and Defender team-mate Rokas Baciuška by a minute.
« Today was our least dusty day so far at the rally. We got two punctures in the rocks, but it seems like this was the same for everybody. Racing in the Stock class is still a new challenge for me and everyday we’re learning a lot. » – Stéphane Peterhansel
The cat and mouse battle between Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and their Honda rivals is in full swing following the opening three stages. Honda rider Tosha Schareina won Stage 3, but it’s KTM’s Daniel Sanders who still leads the general classification.
« I tried not to make any big mistakes and keep a nice rhythm. It was probably one of the most difficult stages to navigate that I’ve seen. » – Daniel Sanders
Also passing the vast rock fields around Al-Ula on Stage 3 were Sanders’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team-mates Edgar Canet and Luciano Benavides. Solid starts from Canet and Benavides put them in touch with the overall podium places, currently fourth and fifth respectively.
« At the start I was doing good. Then I caught some of the guys in front and it got super dusty. I crashed three times. It wasn’t easy to push because the navigation was tough. This is going to be a tough Dakar. » – Luciano Benavides
In the SSV race there’s less than 45 seconds separating reigning champion Brock Heger and category debutant Gonçalo Guerreiro. Portuguese racer Guerreiro backed up yesterday’s stage win with second place on Stage 3. Heger and Guerreiro will write the next chapter of their battle for top spot in this year’s SSV contest when the Marathon-Refuge Stage gets underway tomorrow.
« I felt something weird in the car on the rear left, but still we had a good stage. It was tough out there and I can imagine some cars struggled today. Thanks to the team and thanks to my co-driver Maykel for another good day. » – Gonçalo Guerreiro
In the Challenger class it was a tough Dakar day for BBR team-mates Kevin Benavides and Dania Akeel. Getting snagged on the rocks cost this pair over two hours each as the Dakar showed no mercy on Stage 3.
Tomorrow brings with it the first leg of the first-ever Marathon-Refuge Stage. The stage itself will be over 400 kilometres of racing on a zigzagging course over wide open spaces. The stage ends with two separate bare-bones bivouacs in the desert, one for FIA competitors and the other for bikers. Standard marathon stage rules apply, that means no assistance other than from fellow competitors. Then it’s a night in a tent under the desert stars for everybody, from factory-backed racers to hobby riders.
2026 Dakar Rally Stage 3 results
ULTIMATE – Top 3 plus selected
1. M. Guthrie Jr. (USA) / K. Walch (USA) – Ford 04:04:32
2. M. Prokop (CZE) / V. Chytka (CZE) – Ford +02:27
3. G. Botterill (RSA) / O. Mena (ESP) – Toyota +05:23
4. L. Moraes (BRA) / D. Zenz (GER) – Dacia +05:46
5. C. Gutiérrez (ESP) / P. Moreno (ESP) – Dacia +05:57
6. N. Roma (ESP) / A. Haro (ESP) – Ford +07:20
7. C. Sainz (ESP) / L. Cruz (ESP) – Ford +07:31…
9. M. Ekström (SWE) / E. Bergvist (SWE) – Ford +07:36…
13. L. Sanz (ESP) / M. Gerini (ITA) – Ebro +15:13…
19. N. Al-Attiyah (QAT) / F. Lurquin (BEL) – Dacia +22:11…
23. H. Lategan (ZAF) / B. Cummings (ZAF) – Toyota +23:51
24. S. Loeb (FRA) / É. Boulanger (FRA) – Dacia +25:25…
30. T. Price (AUS) / A. Monleón (ESP) – Toyota +33:13…
47. S. Quintero (USA) / A. Short (USA) – Toyota +01:15:02…
55. G. De Mévius (BEL) / M. Baumel (FRA) – MINI +02:24:58…
STOCK – Top 3
1. S. Peterhansel (FRA) / M. Metge (FRA) – Defender 04:59:07
2. R. Baciuška (LTU) / O. Vidal (ESP) – Defender +01:06
3. S. Price (USA) S. Berriman (USA) / – Defender +02:32…
BIKE RallyGP – Top 3 plus selected
1. T. Schareina (ESP) – Honda 04:26:39
2. R. Brabec (USA) – Honda +02:17
3. D. Sanders (AUS) – KTM +03:28
4. L. Benavides (ARG) – KTM +04:30…
7. E. Canet (ESP) – KTM +11:44…
13. M. Balooshi (UAE) – Honda +01:26:52…
SSV – Top 3 plus selected
1. B. Heger (USA) / M.Eddy (USA) – Polaris 04:38:09
2. G. Guerreiro (POR) / M. Justo (BRA) – Polaris +05:18
3. J. Monteiro (POR) / N. Morais (POR) – Can-Am +05:32…
12. F. López (CHI) / A. León (CHI) – Can-Am +31:16…
22. J. Krisstoffersson (SWE) / O. Floene (NOR) – Polaris +01:11:10…
CHALLENGER – Top 3 plus selected
1. P. Klaassen (NED) / A. Sanz (ARG) – KTM 04:28:25
2. Y. Seaidan (KSA) / X. Flick (FRA) – Taurus +08:25
3. P. Navarro (ESP) / J. Rosa (ESP) – Taurus +11:18…
28. K. Benavides (ARG) / L. Sisterna (ARG) – Taurus +02:05:08…
30. D. Akeel (KSA) / S. Delaunay (FRA) – Taurus +02:19:42…
Dakar Rally standings after Stage 3
ULTIMATE – Top 3 plus selected
1. M. Guthrie Jr. (USA) / K. Walch (USA) – Ford 11:27:20
2. M. Prokop (CZE) / V. Chytka (CZE) – Ford +00:26
3. M. Ekström (SWE) / E. Bergvist (SWE) – Ford +01:08
4. C. Sainz (ESP) / L. Cruz (ESP) – Ford +03:34
5. N. Roma (ESP) / A. Haro (ESP) – Ford +04:02
6. L. Moraes (BRA) / D. Zenz (GER) – Dacia +05:16…
7. C. Gutiérrez (ESP) / P. Moreno (ESP) – Dacia +05:59…
10. N. Al-Attiyah (QAT) / F. Lurquin (BEL) – Dacia +11:39
11. H. Lategan (ZAF) / B. Cummings (ZAF) – Toyota +14:47
12. S. Loeb (FRA) / É. Boulanger (FRA) – Dacia +16:50…
16. T. Price (AUS) / A. Monleón (ESP) – Toyota +25:23…
18. L. Sanz (ESP) / M. Gerini (ITA) – Ebro +27:55…
27. S. Quintero (USA) / A. Short (USA) – Toyota +01:04:37…
44. G. De Mévius (BEL) / M. Baumel (FRA) – MINI +02:15:35…
STOCK – Top 3
1. R. Baciuška (LTU) / O. Vidal (ESP) – Defender 14:04:07
2. R. Basso (FRA) / J. Menard (FRA) – Toyota +28:49
3. S. Peterhansel (FRA) / M. Metge (FRA) – Defender +55:47
BIKE RallyGP – Top 3 plus selected
1. D. Sanders (AUS) – KTM 12:12:31
2. R. Brabec (USA) – Honda +01:07
3. T. Schareina (ESP) – Honda +01:13
4. E. Canet (ESP) – KTM +08:46
5. L. Benavides (ARG) – KTM +11:06…
13. M. Balooshi (UAE) – Honda +03:52:22
SSV – Top 3 plus selected
1. B. Heger (USA) / M.Eddy (USA) – Polaris 13:08:47
2. G. Guerreiro (POR) / M. Justo (BRA) – Polaris +00:43
3. X. De Soultrait (FRA) / M. Bonnet (FRA) – Polaris +11:07…
6. F. López (CHI) / A. León (CHI) – Can-Am +31:25…
13. J. Krisstoffersson (SWE) / O. Floene (NOR) – Polaris +01:42:41…
CHALLENGER – Top 3 plus selected
1. Y. Seaidan (KSA) / X. Flick (FRA) – Taurus 12:47:51
2. P. Klaassen (NED) / A. Sanz (ARG) – KTM +02:53
3. L. Del Rio (CHI) / B. Jacomy (ARG) – Taurus +03:50…
17. D. Akeel (KSA) / S. Delaunay (FRA) – Taurus +02:25:12…
20. K. Benavides (ARG) / L. Sisterna (ARG) – Taurus +03:14:40…
QUOTES
Mitch Guthrie Jr.: « It’s my first stage win in the Ultimate class and I really don’t know what to say. We started towards the back and had a really clean day. Kellon killed it on the navigation. We had no flat tyres and kept moving all day. We pushed when we could and backed off in the rocky sections. »
Mattias Ekström: « There were a lot of rocks and a lot of dust. I think we drove in the dust the whole day. This makes it difficult to judge your pace. Yesterday I had three punctures, but today I had none. »
Lucas Moraes: “It was another proper Dakar stage. Yesterday was supposed to be the rocky stage, but this one was rocky as well. We had a clean run with just a couple of navigation errors. It’s good to claw some time back. Every day I’m feeling better in my new Dacia car. »
Cristina Gutiérrez: « We’ve reached the end in good conditions. Pablo did an amazing job with the navigation. Everybody had a lot of punctures so we did well just to have one. »
Carlos Sainz: « Today we were in survival mode. After we got the second puncture we could see that we were still a very stony 60km from the finish line. »
Nasser Al-Attiyah: « We had two punctures and it really wasn’t easy. We took it easy on the last one hundred kilometres because we just needed to survive and finish the stage. Today and yesterday, we just needed to survive. But I’m quite happy, tomorrow will be a good day. »
Nani Roma: « We got two punctures so this forced us to reduce our speed for the last 50km. We’re happy to make it to the finish. It’s great for the team that Mitch wins the stage. »
Laia Sanz: « It wasn’t an easy day. The risk of punctures was so high and the navigation was tough. We had no more spare wheels for the last 80km so that was very stressful. »
Henk Lategan: « The organisers said today’s stage would be 11 percent rocks, but only 11 percent of the stage wasn’t rocks. This stage was just a puncture waiting to happen. At one point we got two punctures inside two kilometres and from there we just tiptoed across the rocks. »
Sébastien Loeb: « It was a tough stage for our car. We did everything we could to avoid punctures. After 100km I already had two punctures even though I was driving slow. After that I really had to slow down and drive at just 20 percent. »
Toby Price: « It was another crazy day. We had a flat after 120km and then we saw Seth stopped and out of tyres. I gave him my other spare and ran all afternoon on the only tyres I had left. We felt we’ve done a decent day. The time doesn’t look great, but it’s still early days. »
Daniel Sanders: « I did well on the navigation and I’m happy with how I rode all day. I tried not to make any big mistakes and keep a nice rhythm. It was probably one of the most difficult stages to navigate that I’ve seen. »
Edgar Canet: « Today was a super tough day. Navigation was difficult and it was super rocky. The rocks destroy your hands and your head. I lost my rhythm a little bit after the refuelling, but I didn’t have any crashes. »
Luciano Benavides: « At the start I was doing good. Then I caught some of the guys in front and it got super dusty. I crashed three times. It wasn’t easy to push because the navigation was tough. This is going to be a tough Dakar. »
Stéphane Peterhansel: « Today was our least dusty day so far at the rally. We got two punctures in the rocks, but it seems like this was the same for everybody. Racing in the Stock class is still a new challenge for me and everyday we’re learning a lot. »
Rokas Baciuška: « It was tricky navigation today, but thanks to my co-driver we hit all the waypoints. We went slow over the stones and still we got two punctures. Tomorrow the marathon stage starts so that’s the next mission. »
Gonçalo Guerreiro: « I felt something weird in the car on the rear left, but still we had a good stage. It was tough out there and I can imagine some cars struggled today. Thanks to the team and thanks to my co-driver Maykel for another good day. »
Francisco ‘Chaleco’ López: « It was another very rocky day. We lost time finding the right way. We knew today would be a difficult stage and it didn’t disappoint. »