Sanjay Takale's historic Dakar breakthrough ends in heartbreak

Competing in the Classic Auto H3 subclass, Takale became the first Indian to win stages in the car category, a landmark achievement that stands tall despite a cruel mechanical failure denying him a finish at Dakar 2026, which had a rest day on Saturday.

Driving the Toyota HDJ 100 (Car No. 722) alongside French co-driver Maxime Raud, with support from Compagnie Saharienne, the 57-year-old started in stunning fashion. He topped the 22-km prologue on January 3 in the Classic Cars H3 (87-96) category and finished 35th overall in cars after the combined 96-km loop, including liaison sections.

The momentum continued into Stage 1, where Takale mastered the 305-km Yanbu dunes after opening the stage and secured a historic H3 stage win and assumed the class lead, triggering nationwide celebrations as Indian four-wheelers finally cracked the Dakar car-stage podium.

Born on February 2, 1968 in Manjari, near Pune, Takale defended his H3 lead through Stages 2 and 3, including the punishing 266-km regularity tests of Stage 3, run at tight average speeds of around 59.55 kmph. He remained firmly in contention for a hat-trick of class wins and was tracking inside the overall top-20 in the classic category.

However, disaster struck at the AlUla bivouac, which served as the marathon-refugee camp after Stage 3, when his 4.2-litre six-cylinder engine suffered a critical piston failure. Despite determined overnight efforts by the team to source a replacement Toyota engine, Dakar regulations and logistics meant the unit arrived too late, forcing Takale to withdraw before Stage 4.

This was Takale's second Dakar appearance. In 2025, he had already broken ground by becoming the first Indian to finish the Dakar in the car category, placing 18th overall and 10th in Classic.

broader career spans more than three decades and over 75 national and international victories. Highlights include competing in WRC3 at Rally Finland in 2018 and 2019 (14th in class both times). He was also the first to win the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship class title, winning Production Cup in 2013, and represented India at the 2022 FIA Motorsport Games, where he finished eighth in class.

Reflecting on his Dakar run, Takale called the stage wins "a great feeling" and the campaign "a huge learning experience," vowing to return stronger. Support poured in from fans across the country, with celebratory get-togethers already planned, starting in Pune, as assured by his daughter Sanjana Takale.

With other Indian hopes also bowing out, Takale's 2026 Dakar will be remembered not for the retirement, but for a breakthrough that has permanently lifted Indian rallying onto Dakar's car-stage honours list. (ANI)