"Life is like the Dakar, and you have to adapt"
Crew facts
KB
- Kevin Benavides is among the leading stars of the Dakar. The Argentinian has twice won the top trophy in the Motorcycle category: in 2021 with Honda and in 2023 with KTM, thus fulfilling his personal dream of winning the race with two different brands.
- Kevin's story began with his dazzling debut in the 2016 Dakar Rally, when on just the third day he won a stage and went on to finish in a surprising fourth place, followed by a brilliant season with victories in Argentina and abroad. A fortnight before the start of the 2017 Dakar, Kevin experienced the colossal disappointment of being sidelined from the rally after fracturing his hand whilst training.
- In the 2018 Dakar Rally, he fought tooth and nail with the leading riders until he got lost on stage 10, which cost him a chance at victory. P2 was both a reward and a challenge. In the Peruvian Dakar, Kevin suffered a severe three-hour penalty three stages from the end. That circumstance, coupled with an engine change, left him in P12. He was reclassified to P5 two months later.
- In the 2020 Dakar, Kevin showed exceptional pace, even winning a stage, but on day six, his Honda's engine blew up 44 kilometres from the finish line.
- While defending his crown in the 2022 Dakar Rally, Kevin had to come from behind after losing almost an hour in the opening stage. On day 10, while he was in fifth place just a few minutes behind the leader, another engine failure forced him to retire.
- Kevin won the 2023 Dakar Rally in a heart-stopping finish. He started the final stage 12 seconds behind Toby Price.On 11 May 2024, Kevin suffered a serious accident while training with his brother Luciano at the Mantillo Mx Park circuit in Salta. He spent several days in the hospital, with a guarded prognosis, due to a severe head trauma that caused diffuse axonal injury, as well as a fractured humerus, torn radial nerve, and cervical injuries. Thus, Kevin arrived at the 2025 Dakar in deplorable physical condition.
- He raced through the entire difficult first week, suffering severe pain in one of his arms. Fearful of a fall, he decided to withdraw on the rest day.
- In June, Kevin announced his retirement from the bike category. KTM gave him a send-off worthy of his successes.
- Shortly afterwards, Kevin climbed into a UTV and announced his intention to move up to the Challenger category. Following an international debut in Morocco, Kevin has reinvented himself for the 2026 Dakar, with his navigator Lisandro Sisterna and aboard a Taurus from the BBR team, while dreaming of a future in Ultimate.
LES
- Lisandro Sisterna fell in love with the Dakar Rally at first sight when it came to Argentina in 2009.
- His father, Lino, passed on his passion for motor racing and sport in general to him. The Sisterna family has been involved in the Argentine Rally Raid CaNav championship for many years, both as competitors and organisers.
- He won the Argentine rally raid championship in 2016 and 2019 and has added three other runner-up titles since then as a navigator.
- He has worked for the support teams of his father, his brothers, and other Argentine drivers, as well as international drivers such as Sebastián Guayasamin.
- In the 2025 Dakar, this mechanic and professional co-driver born in San Juan debuted in the Challenger category alongside Pau Navarro, finishing third and taking a stage victory.
- At the end of June, Kevin invited him to join him for some training sessions in Fiambalá. Now part of the BBR team, they first competed in the Baja and then in the Morocco Rally, where they finished 20th in the Challenger category.
- Going through a period of adjustment with Kevin – almost a courtship, according to his definition – Lisandro comes to his second Dakar to do his best and hope for a result that will be the consequence of all their hard work.
Ambition
K.B: "I experienced so many emotions in the last Dakar. I had never quit before, except for engine failures in 2020 and 2022, never of my own accord. I was riding with a very weak arm. I overcame the most difficult stages, but I was afraid of falling. Retiring was the right choice, and I did so during the rest day. Later in the year, I realised that my arm would never be 100% and that it was too big a risk in such a high-level competition. That's when I decided to retire. It was a difficult decision. Life is like the Dakar, and you have to adapt. That's when I realised I could reinvent myself. This sport allows me to continue competing—which is what I love—albeit in a different category. Basically, I have to add two more wheels.
In June, KTM threw me a farewell party and made me feel exceptional. They will always be in my heart. I analysed all the options and decided that Challenger would be the best way to learn how to drive and get to know the car, while I visualise and dream of a future in Ultimate. The Morocco Rally left us with a bittersweet taste because I made a mistake on the first day and had mechanical problems in two stages. I had to start far back and make up a lot of positions. Although it wasn't reflected in the result, there was pace and speed. We paid our dues in Morocco. I tasted glory twice and dream of a third time. I don't know if it will happen this year. I will do my best, I'm not thinking about the result. That will already make me happy.”
L.E.S: “It has always been my dream to compete in the Dakar. I come from a family of rally raid enthusiasts. All the Sisternas had competed in the rally, and I was the only one missing. My call-up last year was very sudden, as I was called at the last minute by the BBR team to accompany Pau Navarro. We met two days before the start. We finished on the podium in the Challenger category and won a stage.
How did the opportunity to navigate for Kevin come about? In June, Kevin announced his retirement from motorcycling, and at the end of the month, Lino Sisterna offered him a car to test in Fiambalá. I got in with him, and Jeremías González Ferioli also participated and helped him with advice. Then Kevin joined the BBR team and asked me to race with him, as he wanted an Argentine co-driver. My ambition in the Dakar is to do my best. I will be alongside a grand champion, a driver hungry for victory. We will both try our best, and the result will be a consequence of our work. I know I would like to win, but I am not setting any goals."
