Caution was thrown to the wind on Stage 4 of the 2026 Dakar Rally, the first half of this race’s debut Marathon-Refuge format. Risky strategies came at a cost because tonight the convoy are separated from their mechanics, camping out in a competitors only bivouac. Let’s find out who’s reached the midway point of this marathon stage, running from Al-Ula to Ha’il, with the least damage inflicted…
Persistence paid off in the Ultimate class for Henk Lategan on the route out of Al-Ula. The South African’s opening days of the 2026 Dakar Rally had been plagued with punctures, a total of nine so far! The runner-up of last year’s Dakar enjoyed a clean run on Stage 4, picking up a stage win that puts him top of the general classification.
« Finally a day with no punctures. Including yesterday we had a total of nine punctures in the first days of this rally. I think that’s a record! I didn’t know what to do on the rocks, whether to slow down or not, attack or not. Today I decided to forget all that and just go for it. » – Henk Lategan
Sticking closest to Lategan was the Dacia Sandrider of five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah. The Qatari lost just four minutes to the new race leader despite suffering a puncture on route to the Marathon-Refuge bivouac. Al-Attiyah will be planning his Stage 5 tactics as he pitches his tent tonight in the Saudi Arabian desert.
« We had a puncture and then we saw Henk Lategan pass us, but he was attacking. We did a good job, we’re here and I think we didn’t lose too much time. It might even be good for our start position tomorrow. The car is in a good condition and we’re happy. » – Nasser Al-Attiyah
Following Stage 3 there were three Ford Raptors on the podium, but 24 hours later there’s just one. Ford M-Sport driver Mattias Ekström finished 12th on Stage 4, but maintains his overall position of third. The Swede will be out to chip away at Lategan’s 13-minute advantage during the 372 kilometres of racing scheduled for tomorrow.
« It was a beautiful stage. Unfortunately we picked up two punctures in quick succession and this ended up costing us time. The results are changing so much each day. » – Mattias Ekström
Stéphane Peterhansel has now clearly gotten to grips with his new Defender Dakar D7X‑R, making it back-to-back stage wins today. The 14-time Dakar winner has carved himself out a spot on the overall Stock class podium. After a rocky start, Monsieur Dakar is now chasing down the Stock category lead, currently held by his Defender team-mate Rokas Baciuška.
« It was a great special, with magnificent scenery. If I came back, it’s because there was a very strong project at Defender: to take a production-based car all the way to the finish of the event. My challenge was to help them achieve that. And I’m happy to be back, because there’s a special atmosphere here. I know the top drivers in cars and bikes; it’s a bit like one big family. » – Stéphane Peterhansel
Reigning Dakar bike race champion Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders reached the Marathon-Refuge bivouac just a whisker behind stage winner Tosha Schareina. Honda riders Schareina and Ricky Brabec are currently joint leaders of the two-wheel contest, having completed the first five days of racing in exactly the same time, 16h45m40s. Sanders of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is less than 90 seconds behind the Honda pair in third overall.
« I made some silly mistakes in the navigation. After the refuel, I tried to push and make up time. I felt better in the last half. I tried to protect my tyres. » – Daniel Sanders
Two more Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders sit just off the podium, ready to pounce on any mistakes by the frontrunners when the Marathon-Refuge Stage concludes tomorrow. Sanders’s team-mates Edgar Canet and Luciano Benavides are fourth and fifth overall respectively.
« We’re in the middle of the desert at the marathon stage bivouac. It was another tough stage, quite long with lots of rocks. There was also sand, canyons and tricky navigation. I had one crash, but overall my rhythm was good. I’ve already pitched my tent and now I’ll eat my ration pack. The bike is good for the second part of the marathon stage tomorrow. » – Luciano Benavides
In the Challenger class Dania Akeel fought back from a tough Stage 3 to score a podium result on arrival at the Marathon-Refuge bivouac. The Saudi Arabian racer lost two hours yesterday due to a mix of mechanicals and punctures, but remains determined to enjoy the ride. Third place on today’s stage is a great way for the Taurus T3 Max driver to get her Dakar back on track.
« We lost two hours on Stage 3. Unfortunately we had too many punctures and we had to wait for spares. We’ll keep racing and see where we end up at the finish. In racing anything can happen. So let’s keep going and try to have fun. » – Dania Akeel
It continues to be an eventful Dakar debut for eight-time World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson. The Swede clocked a Top 10 stage result in the SSV class as the rally waved goodbye to Al-Ula. Kristoffersson is now less than 15 minutes off the overall SSV Top 10 as he gets to grips with the toughest race on the planet.
« It’s been tough for us. There’s not been many kilometres driven without lots of dust in front of us. We’ve been on very rough roads with big stones. We’ve got punctures. I’m hoping we can get into cleaner air on the next stages. » – Johan Kristoffersson
After a dinner of ration packs and a night sleeping in tents, the convoy depart at first light for the second part of this Marathon-Refuge Stage. Adding to the complications for the leading Ultimate class crews will be a lack of bike tracks to guide them towards Ha’il. This will also be a second day of wear and tear on the machines with minimal access to spare parts. Expect to see a number of competitors shift down into survival gear to reach the safety of the Ha’il bivouac.
2026 Dakar Rally Stage 4 results
ULTIMATE – Top 3 plus selected
1. H. Lategan (ZAF) / B. Cummings (ZAF) – Toyota 04:47:08
2. N. Al-Attiyah (QAT) / F. Lurquin (BEL) – Dacia +07:03
3. M. Goczal (POL) / M. Marton (POL) – Toyota +14:15
5. S. Loeb (FRA) / É. Boulanger (FRA) – Dacia +17:54
7. T. Price (AUS) / A. Monleón (ESP) – Toyota +20:07…
11. S. Quintero (USA) / A. Short (USA) – Toyota +23:27
12. M. Ekström (SWE) / E. Bergvist (SWE) – Ford +26:39
13. C. Sainz (ESP) / L. Cruz (ESP) – Ford +27:06
14. L. Sanz (ESP) / M. Gerini (ITA) – Ebro +28:58
15. N. Roma (ESP) / A. Haro (ESP) – Ford +29:21…
19. C. Gutiérrez (ESP) / P. Moreno (ESP) – Dacia +34:06…
21. L. Moraes (BRA) / D. Zenz (GER) – Dacia +35:47…
23. M. Guthrie Jr. (USA) / K. Walch (USA) – Ford +43:53…
57. G. De Mévius (BEL) / M. Baumel (FRA) – MINI +03:13:12…
STOCK – Top 3
1. S. Peterhansel (FRA) / M. Metge (FRA) – Defender 05:52:38
2. S. Price (USA) S. Berriman (USA) / – Defender +05:12
3. R. Baciuška (LTU) / O. Vidal (ESP) – Defender +11:52…
BIKE RallyGP – Top 3 plus selected
1. T. Schareina (ESP) – Honda 04:31:56
2. R. Brabec (USA) – Honda +00:06
3. S. Howes (USA) – Honda +00:10…
5. D. Sanders (AUS) – KTM +02:37…
7. L. Benavides (ARG) – KTM +03:16
8. E. Canet (ESP) – KTM +03:49…
CHALLENGER – Top 3 plus selected
1. N. Cavigliasso (ARG) / V. Pertegarini (ARG) – Taurus 05:23:12
2. P. Navarro (ESP) / J. Rosa (ESP) – Taurus +02:29
3. D. Akeel (KSA) / S. Delaunay (FRA) – Taurus +04:06…
8. K. Benavides (ARG) / L. Sisterna (ARG) – Taurus +31:37
SSV – Top 3 plus selected
1. B. Heger (USA) / M.Eddy (USA) – Polaris 05:21:48
2. J. Monteiro (POR) / N. Morais (POR) – Can-Am + 16:02
3. J. Dias (POR) / D. Jordao (POR) – Polaris +16:40…
9. J. Krisstoffersson (SWE) / O. Floene (NOR) – Polaris +35:26…
19. G. Guerreiro (POR) / M. Justo (BRA) – Polaris +01:13:07…
22. F. López (CHI) / A. León (CHI) – Can-Am +01:18:50…
Dakar Rally standings after Stage 4
ULTIMATE – Top 3 plus selected
1. H. Lategan (ZAF) / B. Cummings (ZAF) – Toyota 16:29:15
2. N. Al-Attiyah (QAT) / F. Lurquin (BEL) – Dacia +03:55
3. M. Ekström (SWE) / E. Bergvist (SWE) – Ford +13:00
4. C. Sainz (ESP) / L. Cruz (ESP) – Ford +15:53…
7. N. Roma (ESP) / A. Haro (ESP) – Ford +18:36
8. S. Loeb (FRA) / É. Boulanger (FRA) – Dacia +19:57…
10. C. Gutiérrez (ESP) / P. Moreno (ESP) – Dacia +25:18…
12. L. Moraes (BRA) / D. Zenz (GER) – Dacia +26:16
13. M. Guthrie Jr. (USA) / K. Walch (USA) – Ford +29:06…
16. T. Price (AUS) / A. Monleón (ESP) – Toyota +30:43…
18. L. Sanz (ESP) / M. Gerini (ITA) – Ebro +42:06…
23. S. Quintero (USA) / A. Short (USA) – Toyota +01:13:17
46. G. De Mévius (BEL) / M. Baumel (FRA) – MINI +05:14:00
STOCK – Top 3
1. R. Baciuška (LTU) / O. Vidal (ESP) – Defender 20:08:37
2. R. Basso (FRA) / J. Menard (FRA) – Toyota +42:36
3. S. Peterhansel (FRA) / M. Metge (FRA) – Defender +43:55…
BIKE RallyGP – Top 3 plus selected
1. T. Schareina (ESP) – Honda 16:45:40
2. R. Brabec (USA) – Honda +00:00
3. D. Sanders (AUS) – KTM +01:24
4. E. Canet (ESP) – KTM +11:22
5. L. Benavides (ARG) – KTM +13:09…
CHALLENGER – Top 3 plus selected
1. Y. Seaidan (KSA) / X. Flick (FRA) – Taurus 18:20:19
2. P. Navarro (ESP) / J. Rosa (ESP) – Taurus +00:45
3. N. Cavigliasso (ARG) / V. Pertegarini (ARG) – Taurus +06:45…
12. D. Akeel (KSA) / S. Delaunay (FRA) – Taurus +02:20:02…
15. K. Benavides (ARG) / L. Sisterna (ARG) – Taurus +03:37:01…
SSV – Top 3 plus selected
1. B. Heger (USA) / M.Eddy (USA) – Polaris 18:30:35
2. X. De Soultrait (FRA) / M. Bonnet (FRA) – Polaris +31:31
3. A. Pinto (POR) / B. Oliveira (POR) – Polaris +47:56…
7. G. Guerreiro (POR) / M. Justo (BRA) – Polaris +01:13:50…
9. F. López (CHI) / A. León (CHI) – Can-Am +01:50:15…
11. J. Krisstoffersson (SWE) / O. Floene (NOR) – Polaris +02:18:07…
QUOTES
Henk Lategan: « Finally a day with no punctures. We had a total of nine punctures in the first days of this rally. I think that’s a record! I didn’t know what to do on the rocks, whether to slow down or not, attack or not. Today I decided to forget all that and just go for it. It’s a lottery anyway. We got through the rocks today, we could attack. We made two small navigation errors, but everyone must have had some. »
Nasser Al-Attiyah: « It wasn’t easy for us. We had a puncture and then we saw Henk Lategan pass us, but he was attacking. We did a good job, we’re here and I think we didn’t lose too much time. It might even be good for our start position tomorrow. We didn’t need to push any harder; we’re still some way back. The car is in a good condition and we’re happy. »
Mattias Ekström: « It was a beautiful stage. Unfortunately we picked up two punctures in quick succession and this ended up costing us time today. The results are changing so much each day. »
Stéphane Peterhansel: « It was a great special, with magnificent scenery. If I came back, it’s because there was a very strong project at Defender: to take a production-based car all the way to the finish of the event. My challenge was to help them achieve that. And I’m happy to be back, because there’s a special atmosphere here. I know the top drivers in cars and bikes; it’s a bit like one big family, so it’s also a real pleasure to be here. »
Daniel Sanders: « It was a really demanding stage. I started in third position. I made some silly mistakes in the navigation. After the refuel, I tried to push and make up time. I felt better in the last half. The bike’s OK. There was a lot of rocks. I tried to protect my tyres. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. »
Luciano Benavides: « We’re in the middle of the desert at the marathon stage bivouac. It was another tough stage, quite long with lots of rocks. There was also sand, canyons and tricky navigation. I had one crash, but overall my rhythm was good. I’ve already pitched my tent and I’ll eat my ration pack. The bike is good for the second part of the marathon stage tomorrow. »
Edgar Canet: « This was a stage to survive! I was practically alone all day navigating through the rocks. I went for a steady pace to make sure I brought the bike to the bivouac in the best possible condition. Tonight we have no assistance from the team, we sleep in a tent and eat military ration packs. This is the Dakar! »
Dania Akeel: « We lost two hours on Stage 3. Unfortunately we had too many punctures and we had to wait for spares. We’ll keep racing and see where we end up at the finish. In racing anything can happen. So let’s keep going and try to have fun. »
Johan Kristoffersson: « It’s been tough for us. There’s not been many kilometres driven without lots of dust in front of us. We’ve been on very rough roads with big stones. We’ve got punctures. I’m hoping we can get into cleaner air on the next stages. »