HA’IL — The fifth stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally concluded on Thursday, January 8, with Luciano Benavides (KTM) and Mitch Guthrie Jr. (Ford) taking top honors in their respective categories. However, for the local fans in Ha’il, the highlight remains the consistent and resilient performance of Saudi Arabia’s national athletes on their home terrain.
In the Bikes category, Argentina’s Luciano Benavides delivered a masterful ride through the 356km special, clocking a time of 04h 05′ 16”. He was followed closely by Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo (+03′ 51”) and Daniel Sanders (+05′ 50”), who now regains the overall lead in the general classification.
In the Cars category (Ultimate), Mitch Guthrie Jr. secured the stage victory with a time of 03h 54′ 46”, leading a dominant 1-2-3 finish for Ford alongside Nani Roma and Martin Prokop. Despite finishing 17th in the stage, South African Henk Lategan (Toyota) remains the overall leader.
Spotlight on Saudi Performance: The stage saw mixed fortunes for the Kingdom’s elite. While defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi was forced to withdraw at kilometer 234 due to mechanical complications following a hard landing, other Saudi athletes showed remarkable poise.
Dania Akeel, competing in the Challenger (T3) class, continues to be a beacon of progress. Navigating the technically demanding dunes toward Ha’il, Akeel maintained a steady pace to stay within the top competitive tier of her category, reinforcing her status as one of the most reliable drivers in the field. Official timings from the Saudi Motorsport Company indicate that over 60% of Saudi entrants have successfully navigated the first half of the rally, a testament to the growing depth of domestic motorsport talent.
The rally now heads toward Stage 6, a massive 920km trek that will test the endurance of the remaining Saudi contingent.