Everything you need to know about Dakar 2026

The Dakar 2026 is about to get underway and once again commands global attention as the toughest off-road rally in the world. From 3 to 17 January, Saudi Arabia hosts the event for the seventh consecutive year, in an edition that continues to raise the bar in terms of endurance, navigation, strategy and mechanical reliability. Over two intense weeks, both drivers and machines will be pushed to their absolute limits in a setting where mistakes come at a high price.

With both the start and finish in Yanbu, on the Red Sea coast, Dakar 2026 features a prologue and 13 competitive stages, covering around 8,000 kilometres, of which 4,901 km are timed. The route has been designed to emphasise autonomy, terrain reading and risk management, with long specials, reduced assistance and a strong focus on navigation for both motorcycles and cars. Unlike some previous editions, there will be no crossing of the Empty Quarter or the 48-hour marathon stage, but the level of difficulty remains extremely high from the first day to the last.

Impressive numbers and diversity in the field

The 2026 edition brings together more than 800 participants from 69 nationalities, spread across 431 vehicles, reinforcing Dakar’s status as a truly unique event in world motorsport. The entry list includes 118 motorcycles, 73 Ultimate (T1) cars, 38 Challenger (T3) prototypes, 43 SSVs (T4), 8 Stock vehicles (T2), 46 trucks, as well as 97 historic vehicles in the Dakar Classic and several alternative propulsion projects under the Mission 1000 banner.

The T1 Ultimate category once again takes centre stage, gathering the most advanced prototypes and deciding the overall victory. Yazeed Al-Rajhi returns in a Toyota to defend his title, while the Ford Raptor T1+ V8 stands out as one of the major new contenders, led by Carlos Sainz. The Dacia Sandriders team fields a star-studded line-up with Nasser Al-Attiyah, a five-time Dakar winner, Sébastien Loeb, still chasing his first overall Dakar victory, and reigning W2RC world champion Lucas de Moraes.

Strong Portuguese presence across several categories

Portugal once again features prominently at Dakar 2026, with 26 competitors spread across multiple categories. In the car class, João Ferreira, driving a Toyota, leads Portuguese ambitions, aiming to improve on previous results and challenge for top positions. Also in the car category, Maria Gameiro, navigated by Rosa Romero, targets a solid Top 20 finish.

In the SSV (T4) category, the Portuguese contingent is particularly strong. Alexandre Pinto and Bernardo Oliveira, reigning world champions, are among the main favourites for victory, alongside Gonçalo Guerreiro and Maykel Justo, now competing as factory Polaris drivers. The national line-up also includes experienced names such as Hélder Rodrigues, as well as several other crews looking to make their mark in one of the most competitive and spectacular classes of the rally.

In the motorcycle category, Portugal will be represented by four riders, in a field where Australia’s Daniel “Chucky” Sanders, from Red Bull KTM, stands out as the main favourite after dominating the previous season and establishing himself as a leading figure in world rally-raid competition.

Classics, innovation and the future of Dakar

The Dakar Classic returns to celebrate the event’s heritage, featuring historic vehicles from the 1980s and 1990s in a regularity-based competition that rewards consistency and precision. Alongside it, Mission 1000 continues to establish itself as a true technological laboratory, bringing electric motorcycles and a truck with alternative propulsion into competition, testing mobility solutions under extreme conditions.

More than just a race, Dakar 2026 is once again a complete challenge, where success depends on the perfect balance between speed, composure, physical endurance and strategic intelligence. For two weeks, the Saudi desert will be the stage for stories of resilience, clashes between giants of the sport and strong Portuguese ambitions, in an event that continues to define the very limits of motorsport.

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Sources:
Red Bull, SAPO Desporto, Autosport, ACP and Motosport