Dakar Rally Stage 4: Lategan wins in Cars, Schareina wins on Bikes
On January 7, 2026, Stage 4 kicked off the infamous 48-hour marathon stage with a challenging 495km loop around Al-Ula, featuring rocky terrain, fast sandy sections, and intricate navigation that demanded careful tire management and strategic pacing. With no team assistance allowed at the remote bivouacs, competitors relied on self-reliance and mutual aid, turning the day into a true test of endurance.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Cars Category (Ultimate Class)
Henk Lategan (No.202, Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC – pictured) stormed to a decisive stage victory, building a lead that has translated into the top spot in the general ranking. Nasser Al-Attiyah (No.299, Dacia) and the Energylandia Toyota crew kept pressure on with strong runs.
Dakar Stage 4 Results – Cars (Ultimate Class, Top 10)
| Pos | No. | Driver/Co-Driver | Team/Vehicle | Time/Gap |
| 1 | 202 | Henk Lategan / Brett Cummings | Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC | 4h47m08s |
| 2 | 299 | Nasser Al-Attiyah / Fabian Lurquin | Dacia Sandriders | +7:03 |
| 3 | 206 | Marek Goczał / Maciej Marton | Energylandia Rally Team | +14:15 |
| 4 | 205 | Eryk Goczał / Szymon Gospodarczyk | Energylandia Rally Team | +17:36 |
| 5 | 219 | Sébastien Loeb / Edouard Boulanger | Dacia Sandriders | +17:54 |
| 6 | 209 | Michał Goczał / Diego Ortega | Energylandia Rally Team | +19:53 |
| 7 | 204 | Toby Price / Armand Monleon | Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC | +20:07 |
| 8 | 224 | Brian Baragwanath / Leonard Cremer | Century Racing | +21:35 |
| 9 | 213 | Saood Variawa / François Cazalet | Toyota Gazoo Racing SA | +22:09 |
| 10 | 214 | Mathieu Serradori / Loïc Minaudier | Century Racing | +22:34 |
Dakar General Ranking After Stage 4 – Cars (Ultimate Class, Top 10)
| Pos | No. | Driver/Co-Driver | Team | Total Time | Gap to Leader | Penalty |
| 1 | 202 | Henk Lategan / Brett Cummings | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING W2RC | 16h29m15s | – | – |
| 2 | 299 | Nasser Al-Attiyah / Fabian Lurquin | The Dacia Sandriders | 16h33m10s | +00h03m55s | – |
| 3 | 226 | Mattias Ekström / Emil Bergkvist | FORD RACING | 16h42m15s | +00h13m00s | 00h00m20s |
| 4 | 225 | Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz | FORD RACING | 16h45m08s | +00h15m53s | 00h00m10s |
| 5 | 214 | Mathieu Serradori / Loïc Minaudier | CENTURY RACING FACTORY TEAM | 16h46m08s | +00h16m53s | – |
| 6 | 213 | Saood Variawa / François Cazalet | TOYOTA GAZOO RACING SA | 16h47m34s | +00h18m19s | – |
| 7 | 227 | Nani Roma / Alex Haro | FORD RACING | 16h47m51s | +00h18m36s | – |
| 8 | 219 | Sébastien Loeb / Edouard Boulanger | The Dacia Sandriders | 16h49m12s | +00h19m57s | – |
| 9 | 205 | Eryk Goczał / Szymon Gospodarczyk | ENERGYLANDIA RALLY TEAM | 16h50m37s | +00h21m22s | – |
| 10 | 212 | Cristina Gutierrez / Pablo Moreno | The Dacia Sandriders | 16h54m33s | +00h25m18s | – |
Bikes Category
Honda asserted dominance by sweeping the top three positions on the stage, with Tosha Schareina (No.68) taking the win in 4h31m56s. This performance has positioned Honda riders at the front of the general classification, with Schareina leading overall after four stages.
Dakar Stage 4 Results – Bikes (Top 10)
| Pos | No. | Rider | Team/Manufacturer | Time/Gap |
| 1 | 68 | Tosha Schareina | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 4h31m56s |
| 2 | 9 | Ricky Brabec | Monster Energy Honda HRC | +0:06 |
| 3 | 10 | Skyler Howes | Monster Energy Honda HRC | +0:10 |
| 4 | 46 | Ross Branch | Hero MotoSports Team Rally | +0:16 |
| 5 | 1 | Daniel Sanders | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | +2:37 |
| 6 | 11 | Ignacio Cornejo | Hero MotoSports Team Rally | +3:13 |
| 7 | 77 | Luciano Benavides | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | +3:16 |
| 8 | 73 | Edgar Canet | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | +3:49 |
| 9 | 42 | Adrien Van Beveren | Monster Energy Honda HRC | +5:11 |
| 10 | 66 | Neels Theric | Kove Factory Racing | +10:22 |
Dakar General Ranking After Stage 4 – Bikes (Top 10)
| Pos | No. | Rider | Team/Manufacturer | Total Time | Gap to Leader |
| 1 | 68 | Tosha Schareina | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h31m56s | – |
| 2 | 9 | Ricky Brabec | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h32m02s | +00h00m06s |
| 3 | 10 | Skyler Howes | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h32m06s | +00h00m10s |
| 4 | 46 | Ross Branch | Hero MotoSports Team Rally | 04h32m12s | +00h00m16s |
| 5 | 1 | Daniel Sanders | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 04h34m33s | +00h02m37s |
| 6 | 11 | Ignacio Cornejo | Hero MotoSports Team Rally | 04h35m09s | +00h03m13s |
| 7 | 77 | Luciano Benavides | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 04h35m12s | +00h03m16s |
| 8 | 73 | Edgar Canet | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 04h35m45s | +00h03m49s |
| 9 | 42 | Adrien Van Beveren | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h37m07s | +00h05m11s |
| 10 | 66 | Neels Theric | Kove Factory Racing | 04h42m18s | +00h10m22s |
As the sun set on the scattered bivouacs, riders and crews faced a night of ingenuity and rest, knowing Stage 5 would bring more trials to conclude the marathon. With Schareina and Lategan now leading their respective categories, the rally’s narrative is one of strategy and survival, with plenty of room for more surprises in the Saudi dunes.
Related Article: Dakar Rally Stage 3: Variawa wins in cars, Santolino on Bikes