THE DAKAR Rally delivered its first major shock of the 2026 edition during the opening marathon stage, with defending champion Yazeed Al Rajhi forced to retire after mechanical problems ended his bid to defend the title. 

Up front, the car race remained finely balanced as the leading contenders pushed hard through a demanding second leg that tested speed, navigation and endurance. Ford driver Mitch Guthrie appeared to be heading for his second win in this year’s race throughout stage five, but was narrowly edged out on the finish line by teammate Nani Roma, underlining the competitive nature of the 2026 competition.

The differences between the Dakar’s top five have narrowed. Where the difference between the number one and five after Wednesday’s stage was still almost 17 minutes, it has now shrunk to just over eight minutes.

Toyota Gazoo Racing SA safely back at the bivouac

Against that backdrop, Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) emerged from Stage 5 with all three of its GR Hilux IMT Evo crews safely back at the bivouac, navigating one of the rally’s most punishing phases with discipline and resilience.

Marathon stage tests crews and machines

Stage 5 concluded the first Marathon leg of the Dakar Rally, taking competitors from the Marathon Refuge to Ha’il. The day featured a 371km special stage within a total distance of 427km, placing a premium on tyre management, navigation accuracy and mechanical sympathy.

With no external assistance permitted overnight, crews were required to service and maintain their cars themselves after Stage 4, adding another layer of complexity to an already demanding challenge.

Ferreira leads the Toyota charge

João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro in car No.240 led the way for TGRSA on Stage 5, delivering their strongest performance of the rally so far. The Portuguese pairing finished eighth on the stage, 6 minutes 07 seconds behind the fastest time, benefiting from a clean run after a puncture-heavy previous day.

“Today the stage was super fast and very tricky for navigation,” said Ferreira. “But we had no punctures today, so it was the cleanest run we’ve had so far. After yesterday we did all the maintenance ourselves at the Marathon bivouac, and the car was in perfect condition. 

“We managed to close the gap a little bit, which is the most important thing.”

The result allowed Ferreira and Palmeiro to recover some lost ground as the rally approached its first rest day.

Navigation trouble costs Variawa time

Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet (car No.213) endured a more difficult Stage 5, finishing 19th, 15 minutes 52 seconds off the pace. Despite showing encouraging speed early in the stage, their progress was hampered by dust, traffic and a costly navigation delay.

“We were quite fast in the beginning and passed two cars ahead of us,” said Variawa. “But then we got stuck in a train with a lot of dust and later lost time in a navigation zone where many cars were struggling. It was a day to forget, but the car is in one piece and that’s the main thing.”

The focus for the crew remained on preserving the car through the marathon conditions and limiting further time loss.

Botterill builds momentum

For Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena in Car 218, Stage 5 marked a positive step forward after a challenging opening to the marathon leg. The pair finished 10th on the stage, 7 minutes 03 seconds behind the leader, and completed both marathon stages without suffering a single puncture.

“Today was a reasonably good day for us,” said Botterill. “The pace was right up there, but we got caught in a lot of dust and it’s very difficult to overtake when guys don’t move over. Still, we’re happy with the performance and we didn’t have a single puncture over the two days. I think we’ve worked out the pace we need to run in the rocks.”

Their measured approach paid dividends as the rally moved out of the marathon phase.

Overall standings after five stages

After five stages of the Dakar Rally, TGRSA’s Variawa and Cazalet sit 12th overall at 21 minutes 28 seconds off the lead. Ferreira and Palmeiro hold 14th position at 30 minutes 17 seconds behind, while Botterill and Mena are placed 20th overall at 1 hour 9 minutes 42 seconds.

Thursday’s stage marked the second part of the marathon leg of the 48th Dakar Rally, with competitors spending the night camping in the desert and receiving no mechanical assistance during the leg.

Looking ahead to Stage 6 and rest day

Stage 6 will take the field from Ha’il to Riyadh in the final stage of the opening week. The route includes a 326km special stage as part of a 915km total day, with a strong emphasis on sand and dunes demanding sustained concentration and endurance.

The stage will be followed by the Dakar’s rest day in Riyadh, where crews will take a brief pause from competition while technical teams begin the intensive work of rebuilding cars ahead of the decisive second half of the rally.

DAKAR RALLY 2026 – STAGE 5 RESULTS

1st: M. Guthrie / K. Walch (Ford Racing) – 3h54m46s

2nd: N. Roma / A. Haro (Ford Racing) – +01m06s

3rd: M. Prokop / V. Chytka (Orlen Jipocar Team) – +02m14s

4th: L. Moraes / D. Zenz (The Dacia Sandriders) – +03m38s

5th: D. Krotov / K. Zhiltsov (M-Sport Rally Raid Team) – +05m12s

6th: M. Ekström / E. Bergvist (Ford Racing) – +05m21s

7th: C. Sainz / L. Cruz (Ford Racing) – +05m23s

8th: J. Ferreira / F. Palmeiro (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +06m07s

9th: S. Vitse / M. Delfino (MD Rallye Sport) – +06m15s

10th: G. Botterill / O. Mena (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +07m03s

19th: S. Variawa / F. Cazalet (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +15m52s

DAKAR RALLY 2026 – STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 5

1st: H. Lategan / B. Cummings (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) – 20h36m44s

2nd: N. Al-Attiyah / F. Lurquin (The Dacia Sandriders) – +03m17s

3rd: M. Ekström / E. Bergvist (Ford Racing) – +05m38s

4th: N. Roma / A. Haro (Ford Racing) – +06m59s

5th: C. Sainz / L. Cruz (Ford Racing) – +08m33s

6th: M. Guthrie / K. Walch (Ford Racing) – +16m23s

7th: L. Moraes / D. Zenz (The Dacia Sandriders) – +17m11s

8th: S. Loeb / E. Boulanger (The Dacia Sandriders) – +17m55s

9th: M. Serradori / L. Minaudier (Century Racing Factory Team) – +19m40s

10th: M. Prokop / V. Chytka (Orlen Jipocar Team) – +19m55s

12th: S. Variawa / F. Cazalet (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +21m28s

14th: J. Ferreira / F. Palmeiro (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +30m17s

20th: G. Botterill / O. Mena (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +1h09m42s