Motorsports
The return of Dakar. The seventh stage ended with the leader’s drama
The 7th stage of Dakar 2026, which returned after a one-day break, took place today, January 11. Ford driver Matthias Ekstrjom won the stage after race leader Henk Lategan had a problem in the last part of the stage and lost more than 10 minutes.
Lategan, who was 1 minute and 46 seconds ahead of Ekstrjom before the last checkpoint, had the chance to win the stage and become the leader in the general classification. However, he lost all his advantage in the 459 km distance between Riyadh and Wadi Ad-Dawasir due to shock absorber failure and finished only 13th, 8 minutes and 35 seconds behind Ekstrjom.
Ekstrom won the stage by 4 minutes and 27 seconds over Toyota driver Joao Ferreira, while his Ford teammate Mitch Guthrie finished third. Toyota’s Toby Price lost just six seconds on lap four, ahead of Dacia duo Lucas Moraes and Sebastien Loeb.
Implications for the general classification: Dacia driver Nasser Al-Attiyah maintained his lead by taking 11th place in the stage, but his advantage fell to 4 minutes and 47 seconds ahead of Ekstrjem, who is now his main pursuer. While Ford driver Nani Roma took the third place in the general classification, Lategan fell to the fourth place, 7 minutes and 21 seconds behind. Carlos Sainz Sr. He finished the stage in fifth place with Ford.
Results of stage 7:
Score after stage 7:
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.