WRC, Sportrik Media – This report is compiled LIVE from the official Dakar Live World Rally-Raid Championship feed as Stage 9 of the Dakar Rally 2026 reaches its decisive Marathon phase, delivering a confirmed Rally GP victory for Tosha Schareina and dramatic positional swings across SSV, Truck and Ultimate categories.
In Rally GP, Tosha Schareina secured his third stage victory of the 2026 Dakar and the fifth of his career. The Honda factory rider made the difference in the second half of the special, reaching the final checkpoint with a commanding lead before crossing the finish line 4 minutes 35 seconds ahead of Daniel Sanders, 6 minutes 22 seconds in front of Ricky Brabec, and 11 minutes 50 seconds clear of Luciano Benavides. While positions behind him remain provisional as further riders complete the stage, Schareina’s status as Stage 9 winner is locked, strengthening Honda’s momentum deep into the Marathon section of the rally.
The SSV category delivered the most intense battle of the entire Dakar so far. Live splits showed leadership changing hands repeatedly: Brock Heger led after 41 km, Johan Kristoffersson controlled the stage at 78 km, 115 km and 147 km, and Jeremias Ferioli moved into the lead after 186 km before Heger struck back at 222 km. At that point, the American held a margin of just 19 seconds over Hunter Miller, 22 seconds over Ferioli and 37 seconds over Kristoffersson. With no service crews allowed at the Marathon bivouac, these margins underline how every gear change and suspension impact now carries strategic consequences.
In the Truck class, the balance of power shifted again. Martin Macik remained in the stage lead after 186 km, but Vaidotas Zala closed the gap to just 42 seconds. Mitchel Van Den Brink, the overall leader, dropped to fourth place, 2 minutes 17 seconds behind, allowing Ales Loprais to move into third with a 15-second advantage over the Dutchman. Behind this quartet, the gaps opened dramatically, with Kay Huzink in fifth already more than seven minutes adrift, highlighting how the Marathon format is beginning to stretch the field.
In the Ultimate category, the first reference time was posted when Saood Variawa crossed the finish line, but the results remain provisional as the leading contenders are still on the stage. Eryk Goczal, who held the best time after 309 km, started the day 1 hour 10 minutes behind Variawa, meaning the final classification will only be confirmed once he reaches the finish. At the 309 km mark, Eryk Goczal led his uncle Michal Goczal by 6 minutes 56 seconds, with Brian Baragwanath in third and Toby Price just five seconds behind the South African in a battle for the provisional podium.
Further volatility hit Ultimate when Lucas Moraes, who had looked set to win earlier in the stage, dropped more than eight minutes from the lead after 309 km, falling behind Michal Goczal. The rankings are still subject to change with Guy Botterill and Eryk Goczal yet to complete the final kilometres. At the same time, Carlos Sainz pushed hard to extend his virtual overall Dakar lead after 351 km, gaining 2 minutes 34 seconds on Nani Roma, 3 minutes 50 seconds on Nasser Al Attiyah, 9 minutes 02 seconds on Henk Lategan and 10 minutes 28 seconds on Sébastien Loeb.
From a championship perspective, the “2R” designation seen in Ultimate refers to competitors registered in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) 2026, which begins with Dakar and continues through Portugal, Argentina, Morocco and Abu Dhabi. That means today’s Stage 9 results carry weight not only for the Dakar standings but also for the broader FIA world title fight.
As the Marathon night approaches, Stage 9 has already confirmed its role as a turning point of the Dakar Rally 2026. Schareina’s controlled dominance in Rally GP, the razor-thin SSV margins, and the reshuffling of the Truck and Ultimate orders illustrate how endurance, mechanical sympathy and navigation accuracy are now defining the rally, with every remaining kilometre tracked live through Sportrik’s Dakar hub at https://sportrik.com/dakar.
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