Toyota’s Henk Lategan stormed to victory in the grueling Dakar Rally 2026 Stage 4 by a blistering seven minutes over Dacia’s Nasser Al-Attiyah, taking the top spot in the overall rankings.
The 417km marathon stage held in the blistering heat of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ula region tested competitors with relentless dunes, rocky tracks, and deceptive navigation challenges without external assistance overnight, forcing teams to rely solely on their own mechanical ingenuity at the remote bivouac.
Henk Lategan, piloting the Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC Hilux alongside co-driver Brett Cummings, started the day in a chasing position behind Sebastien Loeb but surged ahead at the second waypoint, building an insurmountable lead of 7m3s by the finish, marking the largest margin of victory in the 2026 rally so far.
The South African overtook a total of 11 cars during the stage, excelling particularly in the middle sections where softer sand and high-speed wadis rewarded precise throttle control and tire management.
His strategic pacing allowed him to preserve his BFGoodrich tires while others faltered, catapulting him to the top of the general classification with a total time of 16h29m15s after four stages.
Five-time Dakar champion Nasser Al-Attiyah driving the innovative Dacia Sandrider alongside Fabien Lurquin fought valiantly but could not match Lategan’s pace in the closing kilometers, settling for second in the stage and the overall leaderboard (3m55s).
The Qatari’s consistent aggression kept him within striking distance early on, but minor navigation hiccups cost him crucial seconds, underscoring the razor-thin margins in the Ultimate car category.
Trailing Al-Attiyah closely was the father-son duo of Marek and Eryk Goczal in their customer Energylandia Toyota Hiluxes, claiming third and fourth on the stage with gritty, error-free runs that highlighted the Polish pair’s growing synergy in rally-raid.
Al-Attiyah’s Dacia teammate Sebastien Loeb and co-driver Fabian Lurquin rounded out the top five despite conceding nearly 18 minutes to Lategan, as Loeb’s experience shone through in the technical dune sections where he avoided the punctures that plagued others.
Marek’s brother Michal Goczal delivered a strong sixth place for Energylandia, while Toby Price locked in seventh in the sister Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC Hilux with his veteran smoothness compensating for a cautious start.
What is Dakar marathon stage? The ultimate endurance test explained
Dakar Rally categories explained: Full guide to W2RC season opener
Mathieu Serradori was the best non-Toyota/Dacia runner after finishing eighth in his Century CR7, while teammate Mathieu Serradori impressed in tenth, with Toyota’s Saood Variawa splitting the duo in ninth.
Meanwhile, Ford’s day contrasted sharply with Toyota’s resurgence, as the American powerhouse slipped dramatically after earlier promise.
Two-time DTM king Mattias Ekstrom in the M-Sport Ford Raptor managed 11th on stage after dropping over 26 minutes due to navigation issues, but managed to hold third overall. His teammate Carlos Sainz Sr. finished 12th just 30 seconds behind, his steady hand preserving his fourth place overall.
Nani Roma fared worse in 15th, while Stage 3 winner Mitch Guthrie endured a catastrophic 43-minute loss after his Ford suffered mechanical gremlins in the heat, which saw him plummet from overall lead to 13th.
Defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi withdrew from the event after 234km as his Overdrive Toyota suffered cumulative punctures coupled with his lingering back injuries from 2025.
While cars stole headlines with Lategan’s heroics, the bike category delivered its own thriller on this marathon stage, where riders bivouacked without team support, amplifying the solo endurance test.
Honda’s Tosha Schareina claimed his second straight victory, edging out teammate Ricky Brabec by a mere 6 seconds. Both riders clocked around 4h31m56s cumulatively for the day but tied in overall provisional lead at 16h45m40s after Dakar Rally 2026 Stage 4.
Schareina’s flawless navigation through the rocky Al-Ula terrain extended his hot streak, while Brabec’s identical time reflected Honda’s intra-team battle at the sharp end.
Daniel Sanders on the Red Bull KTM fought back to third on stage and overall at +1m24s, overcoming earlier GPS woes that had granted him credits previously.
READ MORE:
Ford dominates Dakar Rally 2026 Stage 3 as Mitch Guthrie takes overall lead
Quintero wins Dakar Rally 2026 Stage 2 as Toyota dominates, Al-Attiyah takes overall lead
