Mattias Ekstrom led a clean Ford podium sweep in Dakar Rally 2026 Stage 11 as Honda’s Skyler Howes claimed his maiden stage win in the bikes category.
The day dramatically reshaped the overall standings as Toyota’s Henk Lategan, previously a frontrunner, suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure that eliminated him from title contention, intensifying the battle at the top.
As dawn broke over the Bisha bivouac, competitors faced one of the rally’s fastest specials yet, characterized by high-speed flat-out sections, technical navigation challenges, rocky outcrops, and deceptive terrain that tested precision and endurance across the 883-kilometer total stage distance including liaisons.
Cars and bikes departed in their staggered order based on prior standings, with overall leaders opening the track to clear the way for pursuers, a strategic element that played heavily into performances.
Mattias Ekstrom wasted no time asserting dominance, blasting off from a favorable starting position and seizing control of the leaderboard at the first major checkpoints around the 50-kilometer mark.
Ekstrom’s #226 Ford Raptor handled the initial flat-out 100 kilometers with exceptional pace, navigating the super-fast straights where speeds exceeded rally norms, allowing him to build a cushion while avoiding the pitfalls that snare less precise drivers.
Teammate Romain Dumas shadowed closely, mirroring Ekstrom’s line through the early technical sectors just before refueling as rocky sections demanded careful throttle control to prevent punctures or suspensions strain.
By the 140-kilometer waypoint Ekstrom’s lead was unassailable, clocking sector times that showcased Ford’s superior preparation for this high-velocity layout, ultimately crossing the line first in 2h47m22s.
Dumas secured second place, 1m22s adrift, while factory stablemate Carlos Sainz Sr. finished third to complete Ford podium sweep, 2m26s behind Ekstrom, after methodically picking off rivals in the mid-stage dunes where visibility and traction turned treacherous.
Joao Ferreira delivered a strong fourth-place finish for Toyota Gazoo Racing SA, followed by teammate Seth Quintero in fifth, while Guillaume de Mevius rounded out the top six in the X-raid Mini.
However, the narrative shifted dramatically for Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings in the #202 Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC entry, who entered as second overall and Al-Attiyah’s chief threat.
Just after 140 kilometers the duo hit a critical mechanical issue—a small bolt failure on the wheel assembly—that sidelined them for over 1 hour and 40 minutes, forcing roadside repairs under the relentless sun.
Lategan eventually limped to the finish but lost an additional buffer time, finishing more than four hours behind Ekstrom, a devastating blow that plummeted them down the order and extinguished Toyota’s championship aspirations as no other Hilux drivers cracked the overall top seven.
Meanwhile teammate Guy Botterill salvaged seventh, followed by Dakar Stage 9 winner Eryk Goczal in eighth for Energylandia, while Saood Variawa made it five Toyotas in the top ten.
Dacia’s Sebastien Loeb finished tenth on the stage, conserving energy for the overall fight where he climbed to third, while Nani Roma posted 11th for Ford, trimming his deficit to Al-Attiyah’s lead down to 8m40s.
Al-Attiyah himself posted a conservative 17th, avoiding risks on familiar fast terrain to safeguard his 44h39m59s cumulative time atop the standings. Further back, Dakar Stage 10 winner Mathieu Serradori advanced to sixth overall, leapfrogging rivals with a solid performance.
Bikes: Honda’s Skyler Howes takes maiden Dakar stage win
Shifting to the bikes, Skyler Howes snatched Dakar Rally 2026 Stage 11 victory by 21s from Honda teammate Adrien Van Beveren after a ferocious duel on terrain reminiscent of his Utah homeland.
The 346km test favored speed demons, opening with 100km of flat-out blasting before refueling and heading into technical rocks where Howes unleashed the day’s quickest splits to overhaul the leader and claim his first Dakar stage win on his eighth attempt.
Van Beveren who led wire-to-wire for bonus points pushed relentlessly but couldn’t match Howes’ late charge, settling for second in a strong Honda showing with five riders in the top seven.
KTM’s Edgar Canet charged from a 10th-place start to finish third, just over a minute adrift, positioning himself to aid teammate Luciano Benavides in the overall chase.
Benavides lost time hunting mid-stage waypoints before rallying late to claim fourth, 3m47s off the pace, reclaiming provisional overall lead by 23 seconds over Ricky Brabec.
Brabec’s gambit defined the overall bike showdown as the American ace led an early charge among the frontrunners, before deliberately ceding nearly four minutes near the finish to slot sixth, just behind Honda teammate Tosha Schareina.
Meanwhile, Daniel Sanders nursed his broken collarbone from Stage 10 crash to heroically finish 10th and retain fourth overall.
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