Joan Font and his co-driver Adrià Guillem continue to rack up kilometres and stages in the 2026 Dakar Rally, even as the challenge intensifies. This Wednesday they faced the first part of the marathon stage — a key day with a clear priority: protect the car as much as possible, especially because teams have no assistance in the refuge bivouac set up by the organisers. The plan, however, could only be followed partially. Although the Catalan duo managed to complete the stage, another puncture — Font has had one on every stage except the second — once again dictated the strategy.
Font still has not forgotten what happened exactly a year ago on the marathon stage. Back then, he reached the camp in extreme conditions — with a broken front differential, no lights and no spare wheels — and the next day he was forced to retire after giving the wheels that were still in good condition to his teammates. For that reason, suffering a puncture in the opening kilometres today was not a good omen. Even so, Font managed the situation sensibly and opted for his most conservative approach at the wheel of the Can-Am Maverick X3. The puncture also meant he spent virtually the entire day running behind — though at very close distance — the two Saudi Next Gen drivers, the team he supports.
“Everything got complicated for us very early on. After changing the wheel, we were forced to tackle the rest of the special with extreme care, because we only have one spare wheel left. In this situation, we focused on preserving the mechanics and managing our efforts with tomorrow’s stage already in mind,” Joan Font explained at the end of the day. He finished 28th in the Challenger category, 2 hours and 20 minutes behind the winner. Despite this conservative approach, Font and his co-driver experienced a high-tension moment in the final kilometres of the special during a mountain climb: “We were on a rocky trial section, with the sun in our faces, around six in the afternoon. I drifted too far to the left and, when I tried to correct it, we were close to rolling over. We got quite a scare because we were almost at the top, but the car held on.”
The good news of the day is that the two Saudi drivers — who have not had an especially easy start to Dakar — completed a clean stage with no issues. A relief heading into the second part of the marathon, which looks demanding: “We know tomorrow will be a very difficult stage and we can’t make mistakes if we only have one spare wheel available,” Font notes.
The marathon stage continues this Thursday with a timed special somewhat shorter than today’s: 371 kilometres, plus 56 kilometres of liaison. The organisers once again expect a complex day, with rocky sections, sandy tracks, wadis and particularly demanding navigation. It will be the last major challenge before reaching Ha’il, where assistance will be available again to thoroughly check the vehicle.
Joan Font official press release
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