Dakar Rally 2026: Sanjay Takale Retires in Stage 4 with Mechanical Issues

Stage 4 of the Dakar Rally 2026 felt like a turning point as the event rolled into the first leg of the 48-hour marathon around Al-Ula. With no team service on hand, this was all about riders and crews looking after their own machines, watching tyre wear, setting the right pace, and making smart calls over a long distance. This is classic Dakar territory, where riders and crews must manage tyres, pace, and strategy on their own over long distances with no team service available. In the bike category, Tosha Schareina kept things clean and controlled, picked up his second stage win and moved into the overall lead.

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Schareina led a full Honda lockout on the stage, finishing ahead of Ricky Brabec and Skyler Howes. After four stages, the overall bike standings stayed tight, with Schareina holding a small lead over his Honda team-mates. Branch remained within reach in fourth, while Sanders managed the stage well to stay in contention as the marathon phase carried on.

In the car category, Henk Lategan set the pace on the long timed section and turned the overall order on its head, moving ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah. After Stage 4, Lategan held a lead of just under four minutes, with Mattias Ekstrom sitting third overall. The stage also marked the end of the rally for defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi, who retired early in the marathon after repeated punctures and ongoing issues.

Indians in Dakar 2026

Indian interest at the Dakar Rally 2026 took a hit after Sanjay Takale retired following Stage 4 due to a mechanical failure. An engine issue and oil leak that appeared late in Stage 3 could not be fixed at the AlUla bivouac. Competing in his second Dakar with co-driver Maxime Raud, Takale was driving a Toyota HDJ 100. Before retiring, he led the H3 Class and had moved into the top 20 of the Dakar Classic standings.

Stage 4 was strong for Ross Branch, who showed sharp pace through the marathon stage. He was just 18 seconds off the lead at the 136 km checkpoint and finished the stage only 16 seconds behind the winner. Branch managed the rough conditions well, dealt with a minor tyre issue, and completed the stage safely. He spent much of the day riding alongside teammate Nacho Cornejo, who improved his pace after the refuelling zone.

Also Read: Dakar Rally 2026: Sanjay Takale Wins H3 Stage 1, Historic Moment for India

Privateer Jatin Jain continued his Dakar 2026 campaign by completing Stage 4 in the bike category. Competing in the Rally2 class on a Kove 450 Rally, Jain remains in the event after four stages. He is currently placed 105th in the overall General Classification, continuing his Dakar run one stage at a time.