“Just say the name and you’ve said it all”
En bref
- Davide Facchini likes to follow his instinct, all the way to the Saudi desert. Passionate about anything that has an engine, he’s always been inspired by off road adventures. In 2026, it’s his turn to join the legend of the Dakar.
- To tackle his maiden Dakar Classic participation, Facchini turned to Renato Rickler’s R Team and to his friend Francesco Minghetti. The duo’s friendship was born sharing drinks at the pub before they took on bigger adventures.
- Participating in the Dakar Classic is without a doubt their wildest experience. But Facchini is not phased. He’s impatient to venture in the desert for the first time…
- And hopefully not the last! His first assault on the Saudi desert sees him jump aboard a Mitsubishi EVO and he wants to live varied experiences in the coming years.
- A sport enthusiast, Francesco Minghetti is used to kicking off his day going to the gym before tackling his office day as an IT consultant. His athleticism and his sharp mind will be put to the test in his maiden Dakar Classic participation as a navigator alongside his friend Davide Facchini.
- While Facchini prides on being impulsive, Minghetti brings his cool in the cabin. Before heading to Saudi Arabia, he’s burnt the midnight oil to make sure he’s up to the challenges the desert will throw at him.
- Minghetti’s dedication highlights his reliability. But is it the main reason Facchini turned to him? The two of them have been friends for years. And they hope the 2026 edition of the Dakar Classic is just the beginning of their wildest shared adventure.
Ambition
D.F.: “I don’t really think into these things, I just do. It just happened some day. I like cars, I said: ‘Let’s give it a try, I’m going to do the Dakar.’ So, I realized I needed a navigator and one needs to be intelligent to take up that role. Well, Francesco is intelligent, and he’s good with computers.
I like anything that starts and turns on. From lawnmowers to lorries, anything is great. And the Dakar is a great event. Just say the name and you’ve said it all.
I did my first testings with R Team in May and I crashed my first car, I rolled down the mountain! Let’s say we started with an accident. And we’ve been growing since then. It’s a challenge but also a pleasure first and foremost, otherwise we wouldn’t have decided to participate.
It’s a big effort so doing it just once wouldn’t make sense. We hope it’s only the beginning and maybe we’ll change classes in coming years. For now, let’s see how we do with this Mitsubishi EVO. I can’t wait to drive this icon in the Dakar.”
F.M.: “We’ve been friends for five or six years with Davide and it’s been developing with several trips, shared experiences… I have complete trust in him, there’s no one else like him I would follow in such an adventure.
When he asked me to join him, he told me he had three reasonings. It’s a beautiful race. It’s a life experience. And of course there’s the cost. But then, he actually confessed he only had one thing in mind: it’s just a beautiful thing to do.
My role as a navigator is challenging. There’s a lot to study and I don’t want to disappoint. I come to share a great experience with Davide. We’ll definitely be put to the test but I think we’ll come out of it laughing and saying: ‘What have we done?’”
