Dakar 2026 kicks off with 317 vehicles and an open battle in Ultimate

The Dakar kicks off on Saturday, January 4th with a 22-kilometer prologue in Yanbu. Technical inspections concluded with 317 vehicles accepted and 564 participants from 49 nationalities. The race runs until January 17th, covering over 8,000 kilometers.

The Ultimate category features something unprecedented

The Ultimate category features something unprecedented: three manufacturers with Dakar champion drivers in their teams. Carlos Sainz put it plainly: "There are at least 12 drivers who can win the race. Dacia was already at a good level last year and we weren't bad either, but this year we are both probably better, and Toyota is too. It's going to be very tight."

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Toyota faces a real challenge

Yazeed Al Rajhi won at home in 2025, fractured two vertebrae in the Jordan Baja months later, and didn't recover his form all season in the W2RC. Now he returns to defend his title: "We are prepared for the battle. Our goal is to win again. We still have speed." It's the typical pre-Dakar confidence, but Al Rajhi knows he faces more pressure than ever this time.

Toyota has dispersed its fleet across several structures. Henk Lategan, who finished second in 2025, acknowledges the depth of the field: "This is possibly the most compact, and also the widest, field ever seen in the Dakar. There are many drivers who can win." Also there are Toby Price (double champion in bikes now seeking the car title), Seth Quintero, João Ferreira, Saood Variawa, and Eryk Goczał. They all won stages in 2025 or have overall victories in SSV.

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Dacia comes prepared

Sébastien Loeb has nine Dakar attempts without the title. Five podiums, 28 stage wins since 2016, but nothing more. This is his tenth opportunity, and he closed the W2RC season with three consecutive podiums, including his first win at the Rallye du Maroc: "In the last races, I've been able to get back to a good pace, attacking well. But that doesn't mean anything, everything is still to be decided."

Nasser Al Attiyah has five Dakar trophies and is seeking his sixth. He gave up world shooting championships in Qatar to focus on the race: "My dream is still to win the Dakar. The competition keeps increasing and we like that challenge. I have more experience and I feel comfortable on all terrains."

Lucas Moraes took the 2025 W2RC title from Al Attiyah. Now they are teammates at Dacia. Moraes, third on his debut in 2023, is direct: "I hope we can progress steadily and fight well during the second week." Cristina Gutiérrez completes the Sandriders quartet.

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Ford seeks revenge

Carlos Sainz retired on the third stage in 2025. He returns with the same conviction: "It's going to be very tight, as we already saw in Morocco. There are at least 12 drivers who can win the race."

Nani Roma brings 20 participations and perspective: "As the defending champion in 2015, I had to retire three kilometers from the first special stage due to an engine failure that should never have happened. My experience makes me distrust predictions."

Mattias Ekström finished third in 2025 with Ford and returns to seek victory. Mitch Guthrie, fifth in 2025, completes the lineup.

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Baumel's story

Guillaume de Mévius is the main contender for Mini X-raid with Mathieu Baumel as navigator. Baumel suffered a serious accident in January 2025, days after the Dakar, and doctors gave him one to two years of rehabilitation. The four-time champion as co-driver managed it in six months. The duo finished second in 2024 and prepared by competing in two Bajas: "A top 5 would be a victory in itself for the comeback. Something more feasible we hope for is a stage win. It would be a personal victory for me and we owe it to the team."

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Trucks, SSV, and Challenger

Martin Macík will attempt to achieve his third consecutive title in trucks, something few have accomplished in Dakar history. Macík faces Mitchel van den Brink and Aleš Loprais, second and third in 2025.

Polaris entered five drivers to defend its title in SSV: Brock Heger (2025 champion), Xavier de Soultrait (2024 champion), and Johan Kristoffersson. Can-Am responds with nine Maverick Rs led by "Chaleco" López and Manuel Andújar.

Nicolás Cavigliasso will defend his title in Challenger with his own structure, Vertical Motorsport. Cavigliasso faces Dania Akeel and Yasir Seaidan.

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The Numbers

The organization accepted 72 cars in Ultimate, 7 in Stock, 37 in Challenger, 41 in SSV, and 45 trucks. The Dakar Classic adds 97 additional vehicles with 214 competitors. For the W2RC Championship, 182 vehicles are registered: 71 cars (34 Ultimate, 5 Stock, 18 Challenger, 14 SSV).

Spanish participation reaches 106 entries, the second nationality only behind France (188). Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma lead the options in Ultimate.

Stéphane Peterhansel returns after his absence in 2025 to compete in Stock with a Defender. The 14-time champion acknowledges the limitations: "A prototype has incredible resistance. What we have are more fragile components; we are forced to drive with less speed."

Defender completes its team with Rokas Baciuška, triple W2RC champion (SSV 2022-23, Challenger 2024) and stage winner in 2025, plus Sara Price, standout in the last two editions in SSV. Toyota Land Cruiser Auto Body responds with Akira Miura, five-time category winner and defending champion, alongside Ronald Basso.

The 22-kilometer prologue will be held on Saturday morning.