“The best era in the history of the Dakar”
Crew facts
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- Nani Roma and the Dakar Rally are two inseparable pieces of the same puzzle. This January, the Catalan driver will make his 29th appearance, the 20th since he switched to four wheels. In year two of the Ford Racing and M-Sport project, he is part of a stellar line-up that again features Carlos Sainz, Mattias Ekström, and Mitch Guthrie.
- He is one of only three competitors in history to have won the legendary race on a motorbike (2004, with KTM) and in a car (2014, with Mini X-raid).
- Although he played football as a child, he quickly became captivated by motor racing and, in 1991, finished runner-up in the Spanish 125cc Junior Enduro Championship. He made his Dakar debut in 1996 and immediately impressed with a stage victory.
- He has even shared the race with his wife, Rosa Romero, who has competed in ten editions of the world's toughest race.
- In 2025, he has competed in more races than usual during the season. He is in stellar form, having overcome bladder cancer three years ago and coming to terms with the new reality of his son Marc's life after a motocross accident left him paralysed from the waist down 12 months ago.
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- Álex Haro will compete in his 12th consecutive Dakar since debuting in 2015 with Andorran Albert Llovera.
- He has been a co-driver for over 20 years in both rally and rally-raid competitions, and in 2010 he won the World Rally Championship in the Super 2000 category alongside Xavi Pons... precisely within the Malcolm Wilson and M-Sport project, for whom he now competes.
- Passionate about nature, dogs, and cinema, it is not unusual to see him in a MotoGP paddock or in front of the television so as not to miss a single race.
- The Catalan co-driver forms an almost inseparable partnership with Nani Roma, with whom he has competed in more than half of his races and finished runner-up in 2019.
- Both are looking to fight for the overall victory in an edition that the co-driver predicts will be truly demanding and 'super exciting'.
Ambition
N.R.: "We are in good shape and very happy to be here at the 2026 Dakar, especially after the Morocco Rally. Not only because of the podium, but because we were fast every day. The reality is that this year I have been able to run more races, which has helped. Now we're up against guys who are racing every weekend halfway around the world, and you need to rack up kilometres in competition, not just in testing. We've worked hard on the Ford Raptor T1+ EVO's suspension and weight distribution, and this year we've made the step up to a faster car. We have good equipment, and we can fight for the win."
"We are, without a doubt, at the best era in the history of the Dakar. There are Ford, Dacia, Toyota, MINI, and Century, and when so many factory teams invest, it creates a breeding ground for others to come. And it's really cool to be part of that. I think the first few days will be difficult to manage because so many fast drivers with top-level cars will come out fighting. After what I've been through personally in recent years, with many difficult moments to deal with — cancer, starting over with Ford, my son's accident... — I now feel very comfortable, very calm. I think Álex and I are going to do really well in the Dakar."
"We are, without a doubt, at the best era in the history of the Dakar. There are Ford, Dacia, Toyota, MINI, and Century, and when so many factory teams invest, it creates a breeding ground for others to come. And it's really cool to be part of that. I think the first few days will be difficult to manage because so many fast drivers with top-level cars will come out fighting. After what I've been through personally in recent years, with many difficult moments to deal with — cancer, starting over with Ford, my son's accident... — I now feel very comfortable, very calm. I think Álex and I are going to do really well in the Dakar."
A.H.: "We're as ambitious as ever. We've raced in as many rallies as we could and faced complex navigation challenges. I think we've done our homework. Both Nani and I are at a point where we understand each other perfectly, and we have the best equipment to compete at the highest level. We want to take advantage of this opportunity with Ford because they have done a lot of great technical work, and there is a chance to achieve a great result. In Morocco, we confirmed once again that we have pace, that we are up there with Loeb, Sainz, Al Attiyah, and with the new batch of young drivers who are coming on strong."
"I'm sure that even though we're not going to the Empty Quarter this year, David Castera is not going to lower the level or the difficulty of the race. The arrival of so many factory teams, each with 4-5 drivers, means you have to arrive in top form and with a high level of concentration to fight every day. That's the goal: to be there from day one and see where the race takes us. If we do that, we'll get a great final result."
