– Stage position 18 for De Mévius in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i
– 22nd place in the Challenger ranking for Busi in the X-raid Fenic
After the rest day in the Saudi capital Riyadh, the race continued today towards Wadi Ad Dawasir. The stage was extremely fast – over 450 kilometers of special stage, which the crews completed in around four hours. Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel achieved a solid 18th place in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i, putting themselves within striking distance of the leading group. Lionel and Lucie Baud piloted their MINI JCW Rally 3.0d to 25th place and were able to gain important positions in the overall standings, climbing four places up to 34th overall.
Rebecca Busi and Sergio Lafuente also start the second week in the X-raid Fenic with a good feeling. They passed the special stage without major issues and secured 22nd place in the Challenger ranking.
For Maria Gameiro and Rosa Romero, the start of the second week was less fortunate. After early problems in the stage, they had to settle for 123rd place in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0d.
The reset during the rest day showed its effect: despite a puncture caused by the dense dust, De Mévius and Baumel were moving at high speed today. They found a good rhythm and secured 18th place — a very good starting point for tomorrow.
The father-daughter duo Lionel and Lucie Baud also experienced an almost perfect day. Fast, consistent, and error-free, they reached 25th place. They are right on track to work their way further up in the overall classification during the second week and have already improved to 34th position.
Tomorrow, after a busy rest day and today’s long stage, the service team can catch their breath. The crews will complete a loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir. With 481 kilometers, the longest special stage of Dakar 2026 awaits. Participants must be prepared for high speeds and challenging navigation.
Statements
Guillaume de Mévius (MINI JCW Rally 3.0i): « The day was okay for us. We started in the dust and had to overtake some competitors. Unfortunately, we suffered a tire damage and had to stop. After that, we decided to finish the stage in a clean rhythm without taking too many risks. Now we have a good starting position for tomorrow’s start. The start intervals are two minutes, so we expect to be driving in less dust. Tomorrow, we can push a bit more. »
Lionel Baud (MINI JCW Rally 3.0d): « This stage was a very fast test, practically full throttle throughout. On the huge plateaus, we drove consistently at 150–170 km/h. We reached the finish and took 25th place. This allows us to slowly but surely move forward in the overall standings. We are satisfied, and navigation went very well for us too. »
Rebecca Busi (X-raid Fenic): « Our goal was to finish and overtake as many competitors as possible. We succeeded. »
Result SS7
1. M. Ekström / E. Bergkvist – Ford – 3h 44m 22s
2. J. Ferreira / F. Palmeiro – Toyota – 3h 48m 49s
3. M. Guthrie / K. Walch – Ford – 3h 49m 17s
4. T. Price / A. Monleon – Toyota – 3h 4m 23s
5. L. Moraes / D. Zenz – Dacia – 3h 49m 39s…
18. G. de Mévius / M. Baumel – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 3h 55m 35s…
25. L. Baud / L. Baud – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 4h 06m 45s…
105. R. Busi / S. Lafuente – X-raid Fenic – 4h 59m 27s (P22 Challenger category)…
123. M. Gameiro / R. Romero – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 5h 35m 45s
Overall standings
1. N. Al-Attyiah / F. Lurquin – Dacia – 28h 10m 15s
2. M. Ekström / E. Bergkvist – Ford – 28h 15m 02s
3. N. Roma / A. Haro – Ford – 28h 17m 30s
4. H. Lategan / B. Cimmungs – Toyota – 28h 17m 36s
5. C. Sainz / L. Cruz – Ford – 28h 20m 41s…
34. L. Baud / L. Baud – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 32h 10m 00s…
61. G. de Mévius / M. Baumel – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 34h 27m 41s…
72. M. Gameiro / R. Romero – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 35h 16m 54s…
131. R. Busi / S. Lafuente – X-raid Fenic – 54h 10m 27s