South African crew Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings delivered a dominant performance to seize the overall lead in the Dakar Rally’s car category on Wednesday, jumping from 11th place overnight to the top of the standings after the fourth day’s gruelling 452-kilometre stage.
The Overdrive Hilux duo’s commanding display saw them finish seven minutes ahead of their nearest challengers, five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah from Qatar and co-driver Fabian Lurquin in their Dacia Sandrider.
Toyota dominance on display
The result marked another dramatic swing in fortunes for the 2026 Dakar Rally, with Toyota crews filling seven of the top 10 positions on a day when favourable starting positions fell to the Japanese manufacturer’s army of Hilux vehicles.
Fellow South Africans also performed strongly, with Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer placing eighth in their Century Factory CR-7, whilst champion Saood Variawa and French co-driver François Cazalet finished ninth in their SVR Gazoo Toyota Hilux.
The day’s results represented a stark contrast to Tuesday’s proceedings, when American Ford crew Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch had jumped from 14th to the lead. They dropped back to 13th on Wednesday as the absence of motorcycle tracks to follow punished early starters who struggled with navigation.
Close margins overall
Lategan now leads Al-Attiyah by four minutes in the overall standings, with the top eight cars separated by less than 20 minutes, suggesting the battle for victory remains wide open.
However, not all went smoothly for Toyota. Home hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk, winners in 2025, retired after their Gazoo Hilux encountered mechanical troubles, ending their hopes of consecutive victories.
Motorbike racing delivers thrills
In the motorcycle category, Wednesday’s racing proved equally spectacular, with the top four riders separated by just 14 seconds. Honda duo Tosha Schareina and Ricky Brabec are tied for the overall lead after four days of competition.
Botswana’s Ross Branch maintained his consistent form to remain in contention, finishing fourth on the day just 14 seconds behind stage winner Schareina. However, South African Michael Docherty’s impressive Rally 2 campaign ended when he was forced to stop with a damaged rear wheel whilst leading his class.
Fellow South African Bradley Cox sits 10th overall on his Sherco motorcycle.
Looking ahead
Thursday’s second half of the first marathon stage heads to Ha’il over another demanding 357-kilometre route, with overnight bivouac conditions meaning no mechanical support for competitors until they reach the next service point.
Given the dramatic fluctuations witnessed in the opening days, Lategan and Cummings’ lead appears far from secure, particularly as the top crews will start first on Thursday and face the navigation challenges that have proved costly for early starters throughout the rally.
