Dakar Rally Return with Epic Races and Stories in 2026
You think 2025 was challenging? Try starting 2026 with the world’s toughest off-road challenge, racking up tens of thousands of kilometers (or miles, if you prefer) traversing the Saudi desert over 14 days of unparalleled skill and competition.
That sets the stakes for you.
For two straight weeks across Saudi Arabia’s epic landscapes, from the Red Sea city of Yanbu, through rocky desert plains and all the way back, racers battled heat, dunes, and the occasional camel crossing. The uninitiated may think it’s just a race, but for those keeping score, it is a full-on survival saga with heart, grit, and nerve-wracking moments that give the Sahara a run for its money.
Dust and Drama
When the dust finally (and literally) settled, Luciano Benavides on the motorcycle category pulled off one of the wildest finishes in Dakar history. After 13 brutal stages and nearly 49 hours of racing, he beat Ricky Brabec by just two seconds – the closest margin ever seen in the rally’s legendary story. Can you imagine? After making it through 8,000km (nearly 5,000 miles) of the world’s most challenging terrain, the crowning moment took less time than it takes to scroll through your feed.
Here’s the blow-by-blow of the “Dakar drama”: Brabec had been leading and looked set for a third Dakar crown until he made a tiny navigation slip just 7km (just over 4 miles) from the line that flipped the whole narrative. Benavides, who stayed locked in and focused on the goal, then took the lead – et voila. Dakar at its finest.
Al-Attiyah at it Again
In the car category, motorsport legend Nasser Al-Attiyah stamped his name again, bagging his sixth overall Dakar win in a Dacia Sandrider prototype, cementing some serious legacy in the Saudi sands, and a slick reminder that the battle is about a lot more than how many wheels you’re working with.
Dakar serves chaos with a side of inspiration. It’s not always the deeply experienced and seasoned who take it home; some get it right their first time. In the Stock class, Defender Rally came out swinging, winning in its very first Dakar attempt – like showing up to a marathon and snatching the trophy on day one.
The journey, not the destination
And beyond the bikes and cars, trucks and SSVs grumbled and rumbled to their own victories, making the finish line celebration back at the Red Sea coast in Yanbu feel like a family reunion where everyone’s just been through a life-altering experience.
Dakar 2026 wasn’t just a race. It was an occasion that set the bar for 2026 and set it high – there will be drama, there will be difficulty, but there will also be joy and celebration at the finish line.
