Dakar 2026 // SS5: Marathon Stage completed – Ready for the longest day
01/08/2026
- All crews back with the team
- Tomorrow: the longest stage of the 2026 Dakar
The marathon stage from AlUla to Hail, including the overnight stop in the marathon camp, demanded a great deal from the crews. All X-raid vehicles have returned to the X-raid service park and are now being prepared for stage 6, as there is no time for rest: tomorrow will be the longest day of this year’s Dakar, featuring 57% sand and 28% dunes – a truly challenging combination.
Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel faced technical issues and completed the marathon stage in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i in 74th position. Their teammates, Maria Gameiro and Rosa Romero, driving the MINI JCW Rally 3.0d, reached the finish in 75th place. They were mainly slowed down by the dust from the cars ahead and also had to search for the correct route at times. The two drivers now hold 66th place in the overall standings. Lionel and Lucie Baud lost time in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0d and had to settle for 106th place, but remain 44th overall.
Rebecca Busi and Sergio Lafuente struggled with navigation on both marathon days in the X-raid Fenic Side-by-Side. Nevertheless, they delivered a consistent performance, finishing 25th in the Challenger category.
Stage 6 will take the participants to the Saudi capital, Riyadh. A well-deserved rest day awaits them there on Saturday. But before that, the crews must complete a total of 915 kilometers – 326 of them against the clock.
Statements
Guillaume de Mévius (MINI JCW Rally 3.0i): “The past two days were not easy for us. Yesterday we had a technical issue, and today we only had two-wheel drive available. We took it easier to avoid further problems. But we made it. Now the mechanics are working to get the car ready for tomorrow. Our goal for the rest of the Dakar is to score some more strong highlights.”
Maria Gameiro (MINI JCW Rally 3.0d): „“These two days were really tough for us. But we are happy that we made it here – with a smile on our faces! We have done a good job so far. Yesterday we were stuck in the dust for almost the entire stage. Unfortunately, we also briefly lost our way but still made it to the camp. Today was similar: lots of dust and difficult navigation. We made sure not to risk a puncture or damage the car. We are satisfied, even though we would of course like to be a bit further ahead. But incidents like the race truck that hit us certainly didn’t help.“
Rebecca Busi (X-raid Fenic): “stages 4 and 5 were two especially demanding days. The strategy was to manage the pace, avoid unnecessary risks, and bring the car back to the bivouac without damage or punctures. On the first day, a tablet issue cost us around 30 minutes, forcing us to start from the back again on the following stage. During stage 5, some navigation challenges added difficulty to an already very selective day.”
Result SS5
1. M. Guthrie / K. Walch – Ford – 3h 54m 46s
2. N. Roma / A. Haro – Ford – 3h 55m 52s
3. M. Prokop / V. Chytka – Ford – 3h 57m 00s
4. L. Moraes / D. Zenz – Dacia – 3h 58m 24s
5. D. Krotov / K. Zhiltsov – Ford – 3h 59m 58s
…
74. G. de Mévius / M. Baumel – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 4h 35m 55s
75. M. Gameiro / R. Romero – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 4h 37m 14s
…
106. L. Baud / L. Baud – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 5h 01m 30s
…
114. R. Busi / S. Lafuente – X-raid Fenic – 5h 08m 43s
(P24 Challenger Wertung)
Overall standings
1. H. Lategan / B. Cimmungs – Toyota – 20h 36m 44s
2. N. Al-Attyiah / F. Lurquin – Dacia – 20h 40m 01s
3. M. Ekström / E. Bergkvist – Ford – 20h 42m 22s
4. N. Roma / A. Haro – Ford – 20h 43m 43s
5. C. Sainz / L. Cruz – Ford – 20h 45m 17s
…
44. L. Baud / L. Baud – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 23h 59m 58s
…
64. M. Gameiro / R. Romero – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 25h 16m 33s
…
82. G. de Mévius / M. Baumel – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 26h 19m 10s
…
145. R. Busi / S. Lafuente – X-raid Fenic – 37h 39m 29s
(P32 Challenger Wertung)
