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

India created history at the Dakar Rally 2026 as Sanjay Takale became the first Indian to win a stage in the four-wheel category. It was a milestone that followed a strong start to his campaign. Takale opened his Dakar with a solid Prologue run, leading the Group H3 category and finishing 35th overall in the Cars classification. For a rally as demanding as Dakar, that kind of opening matters. In his second Dakar appearance, Takale used that early momentum to settle in quickly, avoid mistakes, and build confidence, turning a promising start into a result that now stands as a landmark for Indian motorsport.

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Driving car number 722, a Toyota HDJ 100, Takale topped the Dakar Classic Group H3 in the Prologue. The stage combined a 22km special section with a 74km liaison, adding up to 96 km. That run put him on the Dakar podium in the Cars category on the opening day, another first for an Indian driver. The real statement came next, as Takale carried that pace into the first full stage of the rally and went on to win the four-wheel category stage, proving that his Prologue performance was backed by consistency.

The Prologue covered a total distance of 96 km, split between a 22 km Special Stage and a 74 km Liaison. Takale tackled the route in a Toyota HDJ 100 and topped the H3 class timing sheets. He finished ahead of Spain’s Jose Sole and Sergio Cerezo in a Mitsubishi Montero, with Raul Ortiz following in a Toyota RAV4. Seeing an Indian name at the top of the H3 results on day one underlined how far Indian rally raid participation has come.

The stage win came in a rally that was already delivering close competition across classes. Edgar Canet claimed the bikes stage for KTM, while Guillaume de Mevius moved into the overall cars lead for X-Raid MINI.

The 2026 Dakar Rally is being held in Saudi Arabia, starting and finishing in Yanbu. The opening full stage featured a 305 km special section, where road position plays a big role. Takale’s strong Group H3 Prologue result gave him a favourable starting spot for Stage 1, allowing him to manage traffic and keep a steady rhythm through the stage.

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India’s presence at Dakar 2026 also continues in the bike category through Harith Noah, who is making his seventh Dakar start on the TVS Sherco RTR 450. Noah’s Rally2 class win and top-11 overall finish in 2024 keep India represented on two wheels. With Hero MotoSports running as a factory-backed team, Takale’s four-wheel stage victory adds to a broader Indian push across multiple categories at Dakar Rally 2026.