Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) strengthened his bid for the 2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship by claiming overall victory at the Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina after five days of competition across Argentina’s rugged western terrain.
The Australian entered the event seeking his first Ruta 40 triumph and delivered a commanding performance, winning four of the five stages and controlling the rally from the opening day. Sanders finished with a winning margin of 12 minutes, nine seconds over Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda HRC), while Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda HRC) rounded out the podium, six minutes behind in third.
The rally covered more than 1616 miles, including nearly 1056 miles of timed special stages through Argentina’s deserts, rocky mountain tracks, and high-altitude terrain. Sanders immediately established himself as the rider to beat with a victory on Stage One and never relinquished control of the overall standings.
Honda mounted a strong challenge in the latter stages of the event. Schareina ended KTM’s unbeaten run by winning Stage Four, leading a Honda sweep of the podium ahead of Brabec and Skyler Howes. However, the Spaniard was unable to significantly reduce Sanders’ overall advantage before the final day.
Argentina’s Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finished fourth on home soil after staying in podium contention throughout the week, while American Skyler Howes (Monster Energy Honda HRC) completed the top five.
With his second consecutive World Rally-Raid victory following his success in Portugal, Sanders leaves Argentina as the new championship leader with 67 points, three ahead of Schareina, heading into the next round, the Rallye du Maroc, scheduled for September 28-October 3, 2026.CN
2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Round 3 Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Daniel Sanders (KTM) 15:58:04
- Tosha Schareina (Hon) +12:09
- Ricky Brabec (Hon) +18:04
- Luciano Benavides (KTM) +22:38
- Skyler Howes (Hon) +25:34
- Adrien Van Beveren (Hon) +35:48
- Edgar Canet (KTM) +43:31
- Martim Ventura (Hon) +55:40
- Ross Branch (Her) +55:58
- Bruno Crivilin (Hon) +1:04:15
Update from May 26, 2026:
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Daniel Sanders made the ideal start to round three of the 2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, May 25, the Argentine Desafio Ruta 40 Rally, by claiming victory in Stage One and moving into the early lead of the event. The Australian was immediately on the pace across the demanding 211-mile timed section around San Juan, setting the benchmark with a time of 3:35:12.
Sanders steadily increased his advantage throughout the day and ultimately finished more than six minutes ahead of the chasing pack, giving KTM an early upper hand in the RallyGP category. The stage featured a mix of rocky terrain, high-speed tracks and tricky navigation that quickly spread out the field after the opening kilometers.
Monster Energy Honda HRC rider Tosha Schareina completed the stage in second position after a measured performance that kept the Spaniard within striking distance heading into today’s (May 26) second leg. Fellow Honda rider Ricky Brabec was the leading American in third overall, the Californian producing a consistent ride while avoiding costly navigation mistakes in the difficult Argentine conditions.
Another strong result for the United States came from Skyler Howes, with the Honda rider ending the day fourth overall after remaining inside the leading group for most of the stage. Current Dakar and former World Rally-Raid Champion Luciano Benavides took the Prologue Stage on Saturday and completed the top five for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing after Stage One, the Argentine some 10 minutes behind his teammate Sanders.
Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider Ross Branch finished sixth ahead of KTM-mounted Edgar Canet and Honda’s Adrien Van Beveren as the leading manufacturers remained tightly matched in the early stages of the rally.
In the Rally2 category, Honda riders Bruno Crivilin and Martim Ventura both impressed by securing places inside the overall top 10 after the first full day of racing.CN
2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Round 3 Results
Desafio Ruta 40 Rally (Top 10)
Stage One
- Daniel Sanders (KTM) 03:40:28
- Tosha Schareina (Hon) +05:44
- Ricky Brabec (Hon) +07:10
- Skyler Howes (Hon) +09:16
- Luciano Benavides (KTM) +10:00
- Ross Branch (Her) +11:35
- Edgar Canet (KTM) +11:45
- Adrien Van Beveren (Hon) +13:43
- Martim Ventura (Hon) +17:59
- Bruno Crivilin (Hon) +18:16
