One day to go: Red Sea, green lights
January 2
nd
2026
- 19:50
[GMT + 3]
Key points:
- The protagonists are ready for the 48th edition of the Dakar, after having completed the two days of technical and administrative scrutineering in Yanbu, on the shores of the Red Sea.
- To try and take the crown from Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi and his Toyota Hilux, two constructors that have recently joined the rally-raid are displaying plenty of credible potential: the Dacia Sandriders led by Sebastien Loeb, Nasser Al Attiyah and Lucas Moraes, plus the Ford Raptors driven by Carlos Sainz, Nani Roma and Mattias Ekstrom.
- The major battle in the bike category will take place between the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team of title holder Daniel Sanders and the Monster Energy Honda HRC squad, in which Tosha Schareina was the Australian’s major rival throughout last season.
- In the Truck race, Czech driver Martin Macik will be aiming for a third consecutive triumph rarely achieved in the history of the Dakar but will have to be wary of the threat posed by his two pursuers on the final podium in 2025: young Dutchman Mitchel van den Brink and another Czech, Ales Loprais. Two titles will also be up for grabs, in the Challenger class with the Cavigliasso-Pertegarini couple who are also the favourites, while a battle is brewing between the SSVs, confronting the Polaris (Heger, De Soultrait, etc.) and the Can-Am vehicles (Lopez, Andujar, etc.).
- To start the big loop that will require more than 8,000 kilometres to be covered before the finish in Yanbu on 17th January, there will be a 22-kilometre mini-loop for the prologue of the Dakar 2026. The times achieved by the competitors will not be taken into account for the general rankings regarding FIA crews, but the clock will already be ticking for the bikes.
SÉBASTIEN LOEB: “I MANAGED TO DRIVE AT THE RIGHT PACE”
What if this edition is his turn? This year, Sébastien Loeb is tackling his 10th Dakar, a race which has resisted his domination like no other, even if he has finished in to top three on five occasions and accumulated 28 stage victories since his debut in 2016. In any event, all the indicators are positive because he produced a series of three consecutive podium finishes in the W2RC season, including a very first victory on the Rallye du Maroc: “In recent races, I managed to drive at the right pace and chose the right moments to attack,” admitted the man from Alsace. “That said, we won by a whisker – there was hardly anything in it. Our competitors are hot on our heels. By going on all-out attack in Morocco, we all ended up with almost the same times, which means that it’s very open”. The Dacia Sandriders team is also counting on Nasser Al Attiyah to put one of its four cars on the top step of the podium. The Qatari driver already boasts 5 winner’s trophies at home in Doha and has even dropped out of the world shooting championships that will take place in Qatar in several days to maximise his hopes of reacquainting himself with the thrill of winning the Dakar. He still strongly believes in his chances and is not surrendering to the emerging generation: “It is still my dream to win the Dakar. The competition is tough and we are happy to have this challenge. I’m continuing to improve: I’m more experienced and I still feel good on all kinds of terrain, both on sandy and rocky tracks” . In late 2025, Al Attiyah was deprived of a 10th world title (W2RC + FIA Rally-Raid World Cup) by one of the most prominent drivers at the moment, Lucas Moraes, with whom he will be sharing meals in the Dacia paddock canteen. The Brazilian, who finished 3rd on his Dakar debut in 2023, will make his first competitive appearance in the Sandrider on the prologue but intends to show what he is made of: “I hope that we can keep going steady and put on a good fight in the second week” .
CARLOS SAINZ: “IT’S VERY, VERY TIGHT”
Among the contenders for the Ultimate title, the Ford Raptors can boast the same level in terms of participations on the Dakar as the Dacia Sandriders. When comparing their drivers’ rolls of honour, they are also perfectly equal, thanks to the five titles shared between Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma, which is the same number on Nasser Al Attiyah’s Dakar CV alone. Last year, the American constructor enjoyed a better finish to the Dakar, with Mattias Ekstrom on the podium (in 3rd position) just ahead of Al Attiyah. Although he made a premature exit from the race last year, Sainz has no hang-ups about his designated rivals: "The Dacias were already on a good level last year. I think also last year we were not too bad but probably this year, the Dacias are better, we are better and Toyota are also better. I think it’s very, very tight we saw that already in Morocco. I think at least twelve drivers can win the race”. Among them, the Ford team leader must surely include his countryman Nani Roma, who knows better than anyone that the vagaries of the Dakar are unpredictable: “I remember when I was title holder in 2015, I had to drop out after just three kilometres of the first special due to my engine blowing, which should have never happened! As a result, my experience helps me to approach the race with peace of mind and be wary of any predictions” . The voice of wisdom has spoken…
DANIEL SANDERS: “IT’S GOING TO BE A RACE RIGHT UP TO THE FINISHING LINE”
One rider in particular dominated the 2025 season in the bike category. The title holder also took over the W2RC crown and is commencing the Dakar with the status of major favourite. Last year, the KTM team leader began with a win on the prologue and never left the top of the general rankings until Shubaytah. However, he is not reckoning on as simple a fortnight this time. “I think it’s going to be a race right up to the finishing line. It looks like it’s going to get harder as the race goes on. The most consistent rider is going to be there all the time, not have a bad day, is going to be up the front and we’ve got many days to do this this year” . As a result of his spectacular performances in 2025, the Australian rider will be wearing number 1 and will especially enjoy privileged status within the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team. In case of a mishap, he should be able to count on the support of Edgar Canet (8th in 2025) and the former world champion Luciano Benavides, who will both also be seeking to put in good performances.
TOSHA SCHAREINA: “I LIKE THIS PRESSURE”
For the Dakar’s Saudi era, the score us currently 3-3 between the KTM and Honda bikes. Among the riders wearing red, Ricky Brabec is the sole former winner, but Monster Energy Honda HRC has plenty of resources with which it can hope to gain the upper hand. Its chances of success lie primarily with Tosha Schareina, who was runner-up to Sanders last January as well as at the end of the W2RC season, which he finished with a triumph on the Rallye du Maroc. Spain has not boasted a winner of the category since Marc Coma in 2015, but now perhaps has its most promising flag-bearer since that time. On his 5th Dakar, all that remains is for him to make the most demanding of steps onto the top of the podium: “It’s a privileged situation for me. Everyone is looking to me for the victory. I like this pressure. We have been preparing for the Dakar all year, so we are motivated and ready” . The podium in 2025 was occupied by two Honda riders, thanks to the third-place finish of Adrien Van Beveren. The man from northern France is a further asset for the Japanese constructor and considers that he is in the form of his life in a bid to enjoy a date with destiny on his 11th participation: “Naturally, I’m dreaming about winning, I can’t wait to get started. I would tend to say that Sanders is very strong, as well as Tosha. The pressure is on them because they have shown they were the best riders by winning all the races in the season. However, on the Dakar, the key is to not focus on the others but to concentrate on what you are capable of doing yourself, which is something else that experience has taught me” .
W2RC: A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB AND THE BEGINNING OF THE ASCENT
The Dakar, which is the Everest of the rally-raid discipline, has also been the first of the five summits on the W2RC season calendar since 2022. For 2026, the inaugural conference took place this afternoon beneath the canvas of a traditional Saudi tent, a pleasant setting in which David Castera set the stage for the fifth season: “I am proud of the calendar developed for 2026 but also delighted to receive an increasing amount of applications from competitors as well as bids from host countries such as Chile, Italy or China. This demonstrates the quality and potential of this championship, which will help us to continue expanding the discipline all together” . After the Dakar, the rally-raid caravan will head for Europe in March, to the base camp in Grandola for the 3rd edition of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, with Loulé in the Algarve as a new finish host city. The Desafio Ruta 40 will be back in late May, with Mendoza, a city very familiar to the Dakar, as a new stage host. Marc Coma, the five times Dakar winer in the bike category and new Director of the Rallye du Maroc, came to announce the continuation of the philosophy and format of the race, which will start in a major city in Morocco at the end of September and finish at a central bivouac. Mahir Badri (EMSO), organiser of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, pointed out that by taking on the status of the W2RC’s final event in November, the oldest race on the FIM and FIA championship calendars will return to the dates of its origins.
DAKAR CLASSIC: PLEASURE IS NOT AT ODDS WITH AGE
Yesterday, the Original by Motul category’s unassisted bikers received a visit from the Director of the Dakar. This morning, other competitors driven by the traditions of the first editions of the rally-raid were invited to a briefing, namely those competing in the Dakar Classic, the race which is about to enjoy its 6th edition alongside the modern competition between the speedsters. Its participants drive in old vehicles and are focused on consistency. Rally Director David Castera was keen to highlight the “importance and scale” that this “historic” format has taken on in just a few years. Today the race already has its specialists but also continues to welcome “mechanical enthusiasts and lovers of the Dakar’s history”, who will all once again enjoy a special privilege this year, namely “to travel through wonderful places that not even the Dakar itself can visit”
LIGHTWEIGHT BUT HEAVY IMPACT
“Pitched battle between the SSV” could be the title of the soap opera whose opening credits rolled today at scrutineering. The official Polaris team, which has won the last two editions, arrived with five cutting-edge weapons, which is more RZR than ever before. Brock Heger has a title to defend, Xavier de Soultrait wants to regain the crown won in 2024, and eight times rallycross world champion Johan Kristoffersson wants to cut his teeth in the discipline. The Santag team, which has recruited former biker Helder Rodrigues, will provide serious back-up, as will 2025 W2RC winner Alexandre Pinto. Against the American SSVs, the Can-Am clan can hold their own, with no less than nine Maverick R bearing the constructor’s colours, split between three teams. North America is represented by Hunter Miller and Kyle Chaney, while their southern neighbours are led by a multiple winner ‘Chaleco’ Lopez and a driver who has tasted triumph in the quad category, Manuel Andujar. In the Challenger class, to defend his title, Nicolas Cavigliasso has adopted a completely contrary strategy. For the last few months, the Argentinean has decided to isolate himself in his own team Vertical Motorsport, though he has kept hold of his technician and mechanic, while building up his own stock of parts to ensure better control of what he uses. Two Saudis could well thwart his plans, namely Dania Akeel and Yasir Seaidan, unless the threat comes from his countryman David Zille.