BBC RADIO 1B
Daniel Sanders won the bikes at Argentina’s Desafío Ruta 40, Seth Quintero took his first Ultimate car victory and the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship now turns towards Morocco and Abu Dhabi.
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Photograph: EdoPhoto / DPPI for W2RCRally raid rewards the competitor who can hold the whole week in their head. Speed matters, though navigation, tyre care, mechanical sympathy and the ability to recover from a bad moment decide the shape of the final podium.
The third round of the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship, the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF, delivered two different breakthroughs in Argentina. Daniel Sanders won the FIM competition on a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing bike, while Seth Quintero took his first Ultimate car victory for Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC.
Sanders had already won the 2026 bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. In San Juan he completed the missing piece, taking four of the five stage wins and finishing the rally ahead of Honda riders Tosha Schareina and Ricky Brabec. Luciano Benavides was fourth on home roads and surrendered the championship lead to his KTM team-mate.
The bike result also tightened the title calculation. Sanders moved to the top of the RallyGP standings, while Benavides, Tosha Schareina and Ricky Brabec remained close enough for the final two rounds to matter at every stage. In a discipline where one puncture or one missed note can change a day, thirteen points is a small margin.
Quintero’s win came after a final stage that tested every part of the car story. Nasser Al Attiyah suffered a puncture 87 kilometres from the finish, and Quintero converted the opening into a victory over Toyota team-mate Henk Lategan. The result made Quintero the youngest driver to win a W2RC Ultimate round, at 23 years, eight months and 17 days.
The car championship remains open. Sébastien Loeb left Argentina as the leader, with Al Attiyah three points behind and Quintero thirteen points away. Nani Roma held fourth for Ford, while Stéphane Peterhansel continued his progress in the Stock category. The week produced a winner, though it also widened the number of crews who can shape the title fight.
The Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc is scheduled for 28 September to 3 October. The 2026 route brings 1,656 kilometres against the clock for cars and 1,591 kilometres of special stage distance for bikes. Agadir hosts the opening activity before the route moves through the Tata region and the loop stages around Zagora.
Morocco changes the texture of the championship. Argentina asked competitors to move through a long South American week with fast, open sections and large distances. Morocco will add dunes, rocks, navigation and a route shaped as a Dakar preparation. The best crews will arrive with confidence from Ruta 40, though they will still have to read an entirely different desert.
After Morocco, Abu Dhabi will close the season from 22 to 27 November. That is the shape of the remaining story: two very different desert events, two sets of navigation questions and a championship still carrying the consequences of Argentina. Rally raid keeps asking the same question in new ways. Who can go quickly, stay composed and bring the machine home?
Rally raid asks a rider to think several kilometres ahead. The surface may be soft sand, hard gravel or a collection of stones that only becomes visible at speed. Navigation keeps the route meaningful, while physical endurance decides how much concentration remains when the day has already become long.
Rallye du Maroc is a demanding final test before the season moves towards Abu Dhabi and the next Dakar. Teams use these events to understand what the motorcycle is doing over distance, which parts need attention and how the rider responds when the route refuses to offer a clean rhythm.
Support crews become part of the story in a way that is easy to miss on a television stage. They work with limited time, carry the tools and parts that may save a campaign and prepare the rider for another day of uncertainty. Reliability is designed in the workshop, then defended in the desert.
The world championship remains special because it makes the rider responsible for so much. Speed matters, yet judgement, navigation and care for the machine decide who is still able to attack when the final stages arrive.
Navigation gives rally raid its quiet drama. The rider may appear alone in a wide landscape, yet every turn is connected to a decision made from a roadbook, a compass and an understanding of the terrain. A fast rider who loses the route can surrender hours in moments.
The final events will also show which machines have been developed with the long view in mind. A motorcycle that remains balanced after several days gives the rider more confidence to push. A support team that understands its patterns can make small repairs before they become a campaign ending problem.
