Dakar 2026: Drama Galore!

A 14-day rally, and still the difference between the 1st and 2nd places happens to be just 2 seconds. In one of the most shocking moments in world motorsports, Luciano Benavides edged out Ricky Brabec by just 2 seconds, which is the narrowest margin in the history of the rally. The courtesy goes to a navigation error 7 km from the finish line. Luciano from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing clinched the first position with a time of 49h 00' 41'', and right on the tail was Ricky Brabec from team Monster Energy Honda HRC. The third spot was secured by Tosha Schareina, also from Honda HRC, with a time of 49h 25' 53'', a difference of 12 seconds and a penalty of 10. Luciano joins his brother Kevin, who was a winner in 2021 and 2023.

In the car category, Nasser Al-Attiyah from The Dacia Sandriders clinched the first spot with a time of 48h 56' 53'' followed by Nani Roma and Alex Haro from Ford Racing with a time difference of 42 seconds. Nasser has added the sixth Dakar win to his accolade and he is now halfway between Ari Vatanen (four victories) and Stéphane Peterhansel (eight in cars). Upon victory, Al-Attiyah said, "We've worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it's there, deep down. We are so happy to win. I think we made the difference on the second day of the first marathon stage by building up a twelve-minute lead. Yesterday was also important. That's when we knew we'd won the race," He also added, "This is my sixth victory. I still need to break Peterhansel's record."

Rokas Baciuska and Oriol Vidal from the Defender Rally team secured the win in the Stock category with a time of 58h 09' 45'' and with a difference of 03h 58' 00''. Sara Price and Sean Berriman secured the second spot, also from team Defender Rally. The Dakar Rally saw the debut of the D7X-R, which features a 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox. To meet the FIA Stock regulations, D7X-R is equipped with an air-intake restrictor to limit the power.

Sanjay Takale

The 57-year old rally driver born in Manjri, close to Pune in Maharashtra, is a pioneer when it comes to motorsports in India. He started doing motocross back in the eighties before switching to traditional rallies in cars and becoming an Asia-Pacific Production Cup champion. The initial phase was 14-years of motorbike racing before entering the world of rally in 2012. He bagged the top spot at Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in his first season and the same year recorded multiple wins in rallies of France, Japan, Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. At a global level, he has also participated in events of the World Rally Championship.

On talking about how racing entered his life, Sanjay said, "I never thought I would actually become a racer. It was just something I loved watching. But life has a way of pushing you toward what you're meant to do. Rallying is not just speed. It is patience, bravery, and the willingness to be uncomfortable for hours. It tests every part of who you are." And he further added, "The Dakar always fascinated me. It is the biggest, longest and the most challenging rally of all the rallies in the World. Competing in the race has been a lifelong dream. It's not just a rally -it's the ultimate test of endurance and spirit. This accomplishment was a victory for every Indian who dares to dream. Representing India at the Dakar Rally was more than just a race -it was a dream come true. Being the first Indian ever to participate and finish in the Car category means the world to me."

In 2011, he clinched the top spot at the Asia Cross Country Rally, followed by seven more podiums in 2012. In 2017, he finished third in 2017's Asia Cup and in the Malaysia Championship, he secured the second position. Sanjay switched to WRC in 2018 and claimed the second position in the Thailand 4x4 Championship. And then he secured the sixth and seventh positions in the Rally of Tallin & Talsi.

He clinched 42 podiums out of the 48 rallies he had participated in. On giving a message to all the novice riders who are at a nascent stage, he said, "To all the dreamers out there: no dream is too big, no path too difficult. If you have the courage to start, the discipline to endure, and the belief to finish, you can conquer anything.  Let's continue breaking barriers, making history, and inspiring the next generation of Indian champions."

In the Dakar Rally 2026, Sanjay was competing alongside Maxime Raud of France, and they retired following an engine-related failure encountered upon arrival at the bivouac after Stage 3. The issue could not be resolved, bringing their run in the event to a close. Sanjay was leading the H3 class (P1) at the time and had delivered an exceptional performance in the opening stages, topping the Prologue and maintaining class leadership through Stages 1, 2, and 3.

Speaking after the withdrawal, Sanjay Takale said, "This is a very tough way to end our Dakar. We were in a strong position and leading the H3 class, but unfortunately the engine issue meant we could not continue. That's the nature of Dakar, sometimes it tests the machine more than the driver. I'm happy with the way we performed in the opening stages and grateful to the entire team for their effort and support". Despite the early exit, Sanjay's performance stands out for its pace, consistency, and competitiveness on the global rally-raid stage.