Dakar Rally Stage 3: Guthrie leads a Ford 1-2 in cars, Schareina wins on Bikes
Stage 3 of the 2026 Dakar Rally, a demanding 422km timed special in a full loop around Al-Ula, featured stunning rock formations, fast sandy tracks, and complex navigation that caught out several contenders. As the rally intensifies, this stage produced dramatic shifts, with Honda delivering a commanding performance in bikes and Ford asserting dominance in the Ultimate cars category.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
As the competitors rest ahead of Stage 4—a 451km special from Al-Ula to Ha’il featuring more dunes and technical sections—the 2026 Dakar continues to live up to its reputation for unpredictability. With gaps still small in both categories, the fight for the Golden Bedouin is wide open.
Bikes: Honda’s Commanding 1-2 as Schareina Takes the Win
Tosha Schareina delivered a masterful ride for Monster Energy Honda, claiming the stage victory and injecting fresh momentum into the Japanese manufacturer’s campaign. Teammate Ricky Brabec completed a Honda 1-2, while KTM’s Daniel Sanders rounded out the podium despite the pressure.
Here’s the top 10 for Stage 3 in bikes:
| Pos. | No. | Rider | Nationality | Team/Manufacturer | Time | Gap |
| 1 | 68 | Tosha Schareina | ESP | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h26m39s | – |
| 2 | 9 | Ricky Brabec | USA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h28m56s | 00h02m17s |
| 3 | 1 | Daniel Sanders | AUS | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 04h30m07s | 00h03m28s |
| 4 | 77 | Luciano Benavides | ARG | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 04h31m09s | 00h04m30s |
| 5 | 10 | Skyler Howes | USA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h31m11s | 00h04m32s |
| 6 | 46 | Ross Branch | BOT | Hero Motosports Team Rally | 04h37m17s | 00h10m38s |
| 7 | 73 | Edgar Canet | ESP | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 04h38m23s | 00h11m44s |
| 8 | 42 | Adrien Van Beveren | FRA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h39m24s | 00h12m45s |
| 9 | 14 | Michael Docherty | RSA | Bas World KTM Team | 04h39m33s | 00h12m54s |
| 10 | 84 | Martim Ventura | POR | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h42m46s | 00h16m07s |
The overall standings after Stage 3
Shows a tight battle at the front, with Honda riders closing in while Daniel Sanders maintains the lead.
| Pos. | No. | Rider | Nationality | Team/Manufacturer | Total Time | Gap |
| 1 | 1 | Daniel Sanders | AUS | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 12h12m31s | – |
| 2 | 9 | Ricky Brabec | USA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 12h13m38s | 00h01m07s |
| 3 | 68 | Tosha Schareina | ESP | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 12h13m44s | 00h01m13s |
| 4 | 73 | Edgar Canet | ESP | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 12h21m17s | 00h08m46s |
| 5 | 77 | Luciano Benavides | ARG | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 12h22m23s | 00h09m52s |
| 6 | 10 | Ross Branch | BOT | Hero Motosports Team Rally | 12h23m09s | 00h10m38s |
| 7 | 46 | Skyler Howes | USA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 12h24m15s | 00h11m44s |
| 8 | 42 | Adrien Van Beveren | FRA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 12h25m16s | 00h12m45s |
| 9 | 14 | Michael Docherty | RSA | Bas World KTM Team | 12h25m25s | 00h12m54s |
| 10 | 84 | Martim Ventura | POR | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 12h28m38s | 00h16m07s |
Cars: Ford’s Breakthrough as Guthrie Claims Victory and Overall Lead
American Mitch Guthrie led a strong Ford performance, securing the stage win in the Ultimate class and vaulting to the top of the overall standings. Ford placed multiple crews in the top positions, capitalizing on the mixed terrain while rivals like Dacia and Toyota dealt with punctures and time losses.
Here’s the top 10 for Stage 3 in cars (Ultimate category):
| Pos. | No. | Driver / Co-Driver | Nationality | Team/Manufacturer | Time | Gap |
| 1 | 228 | Mitch Guthrie / Kellon Walch | USA / USA | Ford M-Sport | 04h15m22s | – |
| 2 | 221 | Martin Prokop / Viktor Chytka | CZE / CZE | Orlen Jipocar Team Ford | 04h17m49s | 00h02m27s |
| 3 | 218 | Saood Variawa / Francois Cazalet | ZAF / ZAF | Toyota Gazoo Racing | 04h18m49s | 00h03m27s |
| 4 | 223 | Sébastien Loeb / Fabian Picasso | FRA / MON | Dacia Sandriders | 04h19m12s | 00h03m50s |
| 5 | 212 | Nasser Al-Attiyah / Fabian Lurquin | QAT / BEL | Dacia Sandriders | 04h20m05s | 00h04m43s |
| 6 | 227 | Nani Roma / Alex Haro Bravo | ESP / ESP | Ford M-Sport | 04h21m38s | 00h06m16s |
| 7 | 225 | Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz | ESP / ESP | Ford M-Sport | 04h22m11s | 00h06m49s |
| 8 | 214 | Matthieu Serradori / Loic Minaudier | FRA / FRA | Century Racing | 04h23m45s | 00h08m23s |
| 9 | 226 | Mattias Ekström / Emil Bergkvist | SWE / SWE | Ford M-Sport | 04h24m02s | 00h08m40s |
| 10 | 217 | Denis Krotov / Konstantin Zhiltsov | RUS / RUS | Ford M-Sport | 04h25m19s | 00h09m57s |
The overall standings after Stage 3
Reflects Ford’s surge, with Mitch Guthrie now leading and several Ford entries in the top 10.
| Pos. | No. | Driver / Co-Driver | Nationality | Team/Manufacturer | Total Time | Gap |
| 1 | 228 | Mitch Guthrie / Kellon Walch | USA / USA | Ford M-Sport | 11h45m30s | – |
| 2 | 221 | Martin Prokop / Viktor Chytka | CZE / CZE | Orlen Jipocar Team Ford | 11h49m23s | 00h03m53s |
| 3 | 226 | Sébastien Loeb / Fabian Picasso | FRA / MON | Dacia Sandriders | 11h49m57s | 00h04m27s |
| 4 | 225 | Mattias Ekström / Emil Bergkvist | SWE / SWE | Ford M-Sport | 11h51m12s | 00h05m42s |
| 5 | 227 | Matthieu Serradori / Loic Minaudier | FRA / FRA | Century Racing | 11h52m48s | 00h07m18s |
| 6 | 223 | Nani Roma / Alex Haro Bravo | ESP / ESP | Ford M-Sport | 11h54m05s | 00h08m35s |
| 7 | 212 | Guillaume de Mevius / Mathieu Baumel | BEL / FRA | X-raid Mini JCW | 11h55m44s | 00h10m14s |
| 8 | 214 | Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz | ESP / ESP | Ford M-Sport | 11h56m22s | 00h10m52s |
| 9 | 213 | Denis Krotov / Konstantin Zhiltsov | RUS / RUS | Ford M-Sport | 11h57m59s | 00h12m29s |
| 10 | 299 | Saood Variawa / Francois Cazalet | ZAF / ZAF | Toyota Gazoo Racing | 11h59m18s | 00h13m48s |
Related Article: Dakar Rally Stage 2: Sanders wins on Bikes, Toyota sweeps cars