The third stage of the Dakar 2026 transformed the desert into a true battlefield. With its 421 kilometres of special stage, the drivers had to demonstrate sharp navigation skills and a keen sense of direction, far from the usual tourist clichés. Ford made a significant impact, placing five of its vehicles at the front, while Sébastien Loeb experienced a nightmarish day, losing precious time due to punctures.
Ford Dominates the Stage
In the aftermath of the Toyota clan’s assault, Ford responded with a stunning display of dominance. The Raptors, true racing beasts, not only took control of this stage but also established a quintuple lead in the overall standings. The drivers’ performance was impressive, with a comfortable lead over their competitors. Only the Dacias of Lucas Moraes and Cristina Gutiérrez, along with Mathieu Serradori’s Century buggy, managed to weave through the pack, but never threatened the supremacy of the Raptors.
Mitch Guthrie, a young and energetic driver, shone by winning the stage with a lead of 2 minutes and 27 seconds over Martin Prokop, and 5 minutes and 46 seconds over Lucas Moraes. For him, it was a memorable day: “This is my first victory in T1+, I really don’t know what to say!” he declared at the finish, visibly moved. “We had a clean day starting from the back. Kellon [Walch, his co-driver] was exceptional in navigation, and the car was perfect.”
Loeb Had No Joker Left
A bad day for Sébastien Loeb, who saw his ambitions vanish along with his tyres. The French driver experienced a series of unfortunate incidents that pushed him away from the podium. He lost 25 minutes and 25 seconds after suffering two punctures in the early kilometres, finding himself without a spare wheel for the remainder of the event. This kind of incident is a bit like being caught in a sandstorm without a compass: you move forward, but without certainty.
It wasn’t just a bad day for Loeb. Other drivers also faced setbacks, including Yazeed Al Rajhi (+16 minutes 51 seconds), Nasser Al-Attiyah (+22 minutes 11 seconds), and Henk Lategan (+23 minutes 51 seconds). Guillaume de Mévius even lost over an hour due to successive punctures. At the end of this stage, Mitch Guthrie found himself at the top of the overall standings for the first time in his career, with only 26 seconds ahead of Martin Prokop and 1 minute 8 seconds over Mattias Ekström.
Behind this quartet of Fords, the Dacias of Lucas Moraes and Cristina Gutiérrez occupy the following positions. As for Sébastien Loeb, he dropped out of the top 10 to find himself in 12th place, trailing by 16 minutes and 50 seconds before the first marathon stage, which promises to be decisive.
Provisional Overall Standings After Stage 3 (Cars)
The standings are constantly evolving, and the stakes are becoming tighter each day. Every second counts in this desert marathon, where mistakes are costly.
Schareina Replaces Honda
In the motorcycle category, Tosha Schareina ended KTM’s dominance by winning for the first time at Dakar 2026. His success is all the more remarkable as it comes after a crash. His determination allowed him to finish ahead of his teammate Ricky Brabec by more than two minutes. This kind of feat reminds us that in this sport, resilience can be just as important as speed.
The day was chaotic for some, like Stefan Svitko, who had to retire due to a shoulder injury after a fall. But Honda managed to capitalise on the difficulties faced by its rivals by placing its riders in the top positions.
Daniel Sanders, who was the overall leader before this stage, managed to maintain his lead with a third place in the day’s standings. He remains solid with 1 minute 7 seconds ahead of Ricky Brabec and 1 minute 13 seconds over Tosha Schareina, who is making a strong move in the title race.
For Adrien van Beveren, this start to Dakar has been more complicated, even though he managed to climb one place in the overall standings (ninth) after finishing eighth in the stage at 12 minutes 45 seconds.
Provisional Overall Standings After Stage 3 (Motorcycles)
The rally is still long, and anything can happen. The riders must stay focused and carefully prepare their strategy. Dakar is a unique challenge where every detail matters.
