Scrutineering under way with two days to go

January 1 ^st 2026 - 08:21 [GMT + 3]

The countdown is almost over! The Dakar entrants have been preparing for 3 January for months or years on end. Those who successfully navigate the decisive technical and administrative scrutineering will be officially cleared to start the 48th edition of the Dakar. The sun had barely even peeked over the horizon this morning when the Czech driver Martin Prokop got the ball rolling. The former WRC driver, with ten previous starts under his belt, has long been as cool as a cucumber at this stage. If anything, he is itching to take the fight to the big guns in his Ford Raptor, which ought to be more competitive than the prototype dubbed "Shrek" that propelled him to fifth place in 2024: "The new car is nimbler and lets you go faster, but the psychological factor will be key. At the end of the day, this sense of ‘caution’ could push me higher in the ranking when all is said and done". A host of title contenders will follow Prokop down the aisles lined by stands with FIA and FIM officials during the day. The Toyota Hilux armada will operate under a split schedule: Saood Variawa, Guy Botterill and João Ferreira are due in the morning, while Henk Lategan, returning champion Yazeed Al Rajhi, the two-time motorbike winner Toby Price and his new navigator, Armand Monleón, and the Goczał clan —Eryk, his father Marek and his uncle Michał— will go through the procedure in the afternoon.

Journalists in Yanbu will huddle around Mitchel van den Brink, who has finished fourth, third and second in the truck class in the last three editions. Today will also gauge the level of interest in the comeback of the year. Stéphane Peterhansel is spearheading Defender's three-pronged assault in a bid to reinvigorate the Stock class, in which the Toyota Land Cruiser drivers Akira Miura and Ronald Basso will strive to preserve their dominance. The FIM side of things will also see many amateur riders go through scrutineering, including all but a handful of Original by Motul entrants, but Daniel Sanders and his main challengers are on the schedule for tomorrow.