After KTM riders had dominated the early stages, the rally saw a major shift as Monster Energy Honda HRC claimed its first stage win.
Tosha Schareina won the AlUla stage, earning his first victory of the season and moving onto the provisional overall podium, just 1 minute 13 seconds behind Daniel Sanders.
Sanders, who had to open the route for most of the 421 km stage, continues to lead overall. Honda rider Ricky Brabec followed closely and climbed to second place overall, only 1 minute 7 seconds behind Sanders, underlining Honda’s strong performance.
KTM’s Edgar Canet could not match the earlier pace and slipped to fourth overall, now 8 minutes 46 seconds off the lead.
In the Rally 2 class, the championship fight has been shaken up. Electrical issues ended Neels Theric’s hopes, while Harith Noah’s crash also removed him from contention. Another favourite, Tobias Ebster, is expected to withdraw due to a hand injury after a crash.
This leaves Mike Docherty, who won today’s Rally 2 stage, leading the fight against Martim Ventura, who trails by 3 minutes 32 seconds.