Overview
- Mitch Guthrie earned his second stage win after Nani Roma’s 1m10s speeding penalty, with Martin Prokop securing a Ford 1‑2‑3 on Stage 5.
- Henk Lategan retained the cars lead by 3m17s over Nasser Al‑Attiyah, with Mattias Ekström third at 5m38s as Ford drivers occupy places three through six overall.
- Leaders lost time opening the road on a route without motorcycle tracks, a factor that hindered Toyota’s stage pace despite Lategan’s overall control.
- Luciano Benavides won the bike stage, and Daniel Sanders reclaimed the RallyGP lead by 2m02s over Ricky Brabec after Tosha Schareina received a 10‑minute departure penalty.
- The Marathon leg concluded with tyre preservation and self‑servicing central to strategy as the rally heads into a long Stage 6 toward Riyadh.