“We are not sure if we want to race smart or fast”
معلومات عن الطاقم
K.T.
- Karel Trneny will be taking part in his fifth Dakar in 2026, having secured solid finishes in the Ultimate class at the last two editions (23rd in 2024 and 27th in 2025).
- After doing his first Dakar in 2017 as a fast assistance truck driver for Martin Prokop, Karel made a last-minute entry to Dakar 2023 with business partner Milan Horyl, but they had to abandon when Milan injured his back on Stage 4. In 2024, Karel returned with Michal Ernst in an upgraded T1+ car and secured his first finish. Title sponsor X-Force and navigator Václav Pritzl both came on board in 2025 and the line-up remains unchanged for 2026.
- The 52-year-old Czech driver has always been passionate about motorsport and began his career in traditional rally alongside Václav in 1997. They've been racing together ever since and had a busy 2025, following up the Dakar with events across the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.
- Karel and Václav will be competing in a Ford F150 Evo, nicknamed 'Mazel' ["little pet"], which boasts a Mustang five-litre V8 engine. It has conformed to T1+ specs since Dakar 2024 and has been upgraded ahead of Dakar 2026.
V.P.
- Václav Pritzl is a hugely experienced co-driver who has been competing in rally since all the way back in 1987! The 63-year-old Czech spent his early years racing exclusively in domestic events, but eventually branched out into international competitions like the European Rally Championship (ERC).
- At 62, he was the oldest navigator making his Dakar debut in 2025, but still managed to steer Karel to a Top 30 finish. He has only been competing in rally-raid since 2023, gaining experience at European bajas in Spain, Hungary and Poland.
طموح
K.T.
"My whole life I had dreamed about the Dakar, and when we made it happen three years ago, I was very happy. We've put together a great team with a fantastic car, a professional service truck and top mechanics. With the opportunities that gives us, we hope to be on the start line every year! I was satisfied with my performance at Dakar 2025. We had better speed then the previous year, even though the result was worse. I've been racing with Václav for almost 30 years so I knew it would be fine. Of course, rally-raid is different from traditional rally, so it wasn't easy for him. But our goal was to finish and that's what we did. For Dakar 2026 we've made some really big changes to the car. We have a new Reiger suspension setup, better power -thanks to a 2mm increase in restrictor size- and a completely new chassis, with spare tyres mounted on the sides. You will see it at the Dakar! In terms of our ambitions, the competition is stronger than last year. We want to finish in the Top 30, but it will be very hard. Of course, with the new car we want to be as fast as possible, but we are not sure if we want to race smart or fast."
"My whole life I had dreamed about the Dakar, and when we made it happen three years ago, I was very happy. We've put together a great team with a fantastic car, a professional service truck and top mechanics. With the opportunities that gives us, we hope to be on the start line every year! I was satisfied with my performance at Dakar 2025. We had better speed then the previous year, even though the result was worse. I've been racing with Václav for almost 30 years so I knew it would be fine. Of course, rally-raid is different from traditional rally, so it wasn't easy for him. But our goal was to finish and that's what we did. For Dakar 2026 we've made some really big changes to the car. We have a new Reiger suspension setup, better power -thanks to a 2mm increase in restrictor size- and a completely new chassis, with spare tyres mounted on the sides. You will see it at the Dakar! In terms of our ambitions, the competition is stronger than last year. We want to finish in the Top 30, but it will be very hard. Of course, with the new car we want to be as fast as possible, but we are not sure if we want to race smart or fast."
V.P.
"It was an amazing experience to be the oldest rookie at Dakar 2025, but thanks to my racing experience it felt easy. We definitely had hard moments but we made it through. From the outset, Karel and I wanted to race the Dakar at least twice, so we've been gaining more experience for this second outing together. Navigating in rally-raid is very different from traditional rally, except for the time controls. Rally-raid is definitely harder nowadays. You never know what's coming next. What can Karel and I achieve at Dakar 2026? Victory! (laughs) Just kidding. We want to finish the race and secure a place inside the Top 30 at least."
"It was an amazing experience to be the oldest rookie at Dakar 2025, but thanks to my racing experience it felt easy. We definitely had hard moments but we made it through. From the outset, Karel and I wanted to race the Dakar at least twice, so we've been gaining more experience for this second outing together. Navigating in rally-raid is very different from traditional rally, except for the time controls. Rally-raid is definitely harder nowadays. You never know what's coming next. What can Karel and I achieve at Dakar 2026? Victory! (laughs) Just kidding. We want to finish the race and secure a place inside the Top 30 at least."
