Doha, Qatar: Ford’s Mitch Guthrie yesterday moved to the top of the Dakar Rally cars standings after winning a gruelling 421km timed special, while Qatar’s five-time champion Nasser Al Attiyah endured a difficult day. In the bikes category, Honda’s Tosha Schareina claimed his first stage win since the 2025 edition.
Competitors faced a 736km loop starting and finishing in Al Ula on the Red Sea coast, including the 421km special stage. The route demanded precision and stamina, with long sandy stretches mixed with rough, rocky terrain.
Guthrie completed the stage with a 26-second overall advantage over Czech driver Martin Prokop, as Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom slotted into third place.
Al Attiyah, who had led the standings after Monday’s stage, dropped to 11 minutes and 39 seconds off the pace after finishing 19th yesterday.
The Qatari suffered two punctures but remained the only driver from Monday’s top six to stay inside the overall top 10.
In the bikes category, Schareina led a Honda 1-2, completing the special stage in 4 hours, 26 minutes and 39 seconds. Teammate Ricky Brabec finished second, ending a run of three straight third-place finishes, crossing the line 2 minutes and 17 seconds behind the Spaniard.
