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Issue #5:January 8, 2026
After suffering drivetrain trouble and stopping during yesterday’s competition, car #501, driven by Akira Miura with navigator Jean‑Michel Polato, managed to resume running with support from the assistance truck that caught up from behind. The crew reached the AlUla bivouac safely at around 11:30 p.m. local time on the 6th. Both crew were in good shape, and by the following morning the car had been fully serviced and ready to tackle Stage 4.
Today marked the first day of the Marathon Stage, in which assistance crews are absent from the bivouac and competitors must tackle the following day’s stage without any mechanical service or parts replacement by their teams. The SS (competition section) was again held north of AlUla, covering a distance of 452 km. Although the area was the same as the previous day, separate routes were set up for bikes and 4-wheel vehicles. The surface consisted mainly of sandy off‑road tracks, but there were sections of hard gravel and rocky terrain as well. The risk of punctures remained high, and navigation was complex throughout the course, making it a long and stressful stage.
Due to car #501’s late arrival the previous night, it started far behind, 164th among the four‑wheel vehicles. Even so, the team carefully worked their way past the cars ahead and steadily climbed the rankings. They suffered three punctures but still reached the finish 85th overall in the 4‑wheel category and 5th in the Stock class. They then entered the dedicated 4‑wheel competitor marathon bivouac, which was set up northeast of AlUla, ending the day 126th overall in the 4-wheel category and 5th in the class in the cumulative rankings.
Meanwhile, car #503, with Ronald Basso and Julien Menard, maintained a stable and consistent pace throughout the day, finishing without a single puncture. They placed 80th overall in the SS and 4th in the class, keeping their cumulative position of 73rd overall and firmly holding 2nd place in the Stock class.
Both Land Cruisers underwent inspections by crews at the marathon bivouac, but no significant damage was found. After eating their packed rations, crews stayed overnight in tents provided by the organizers as they prepared to take on the next day. On the 8th, competitors will face Day 2 of the Marathon Stage, a 371 km competitive route from the AlUla marathon bivouac toward Ha’il in northeastern Saudi Arabia.
(Provisional rankings as of 3:00 AM Japan time)
Miura (driver): In the final section of yesterday’s SS, we suddenly had a drivetrain problem, and the car was unable to move. For a moment, we even considered a day retirement, but thanks to the quick support from the assistance truck, we managed to get back within the permitted time window. Because of the delay, we’re now more than four hours behind the Stock class leader, but we’re committed to running all the way to the end to gather solid data on the new rally car.