Game, Seth and match for Quintero
Thirteenth time lucky for Seth Quintero (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC)! The thirteenth edition of the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF, the thirteenth Ultimate event of his career, has given the American his first taste of glory in this class. Quintero did not win any stages, but his metronomic consistency (fourth, sixth, third, fifth and third) did the trick. His success is a tale of learning and perseverance, but also proof, if any were needed, that the W2RC has found the right formula: he is the first winner of Challenger trophies to carry over his success to Ultimate, where America is also celebrating its first victory today. Quintero broke the hegemony of The Dacia Sandriders since the 2025 Rallye du Maroc and moved up to third in the championship, 13 points from Sébastien Loeb in the hot seat. At the tender age of 23, he is also the most precocious winner in the history of the premier class.
"El Matador" and his Raptor finally catch their prey
Carlos Sainz has tasted W2RC glory more than a few times, but today's stage win was his first in a Ford Raptor, his vehicle since late 2024. "El Matador" has been rewarded for his perseverance! This is also the Blue Oval's first triumph here since the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF returned to the World Rally-Raid Championship in 2023. Last but not least, he and the biker Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda HRC) have netted Spain its first-ever FIA-FIM double. ¡Olé!
A Klaass act
Fourth in stage 1 and third yesterday, Puck Klaassen (KTM X-Bow powered by G Rally) climbed to the top of the Challenger hierarchy today. The Dutchwoman's never-say-die attitude paid off and made a big dent in her deficit to Alexandre Pinto (Old Friends Rally), who sustained his first defeat of the week. Klaassen is now 11′05″ behind her Portuguese rival and has a realistic shot at toppling him before the finish in San Juan. The two are locked in a vicious duel for the W2RC lead, so every point will count on the tracks of Argentina.
Daniel Sanders achieves escape velocity
Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is one of the select few who can win a stage after opening the road from flag to flag. He had already pulled it off six times before: stage 3 of the 2023 Sonora Rally, stage 4 of the 2024 Rallye du Maroc, stage 2 of the 2025 Dakar, stages 3 and 4 of the 2025 South African Safari Rally, and stage 2 of the 2025 bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. Today, he made it number seven in the 128 km special from San Juan to Rafael. As the icing on the cake, he relegated his closest rival to 5 minutes! "Chucky" grabbed his 31st W2RC with a flourish, putting clear daylight between him and Tosha Schareina (+11′01″) in the overall. Winning the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF, which is still missing from his trophy case, would fuel his surge up the championship ranking, in which he went from fifth after the Dakar to third after the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. Sanders is hell-bent on becoming the first rider in W2RC history to successfully defend his no. 1 plate.
Eryk Goczał checks another item off his list
The signs were there for anyone who wanted to see them. Eryk Goczał became the youngest winner in Dakar history in 2023, when he bagged the SSV trophy at age 18, and went on to perform strongly in Challenger before scaling the W2RC ladder and bursting into Ultimate in 2025. Two stage wins, first in the 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and then in the 2026 Dakar, confirmed the potential of the Energylandia prodigy. However, he had never led the FIA standings in a round until today. Victory in the opening stage around San Juan —in his very first appearance in Argentina— has catapulted Goczał to the top of the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF. He has his work cut out for him to defend the lead, with the top 3 just 56 seconds apart and less than 2 minutes separating the top 5. Yet the son of Marek Goczał is gaining valuable experience at age 21 and carving himself a niche among the world rally-raid elite.
