Dakar Rally 2026 Preview: A Grueling Test of Endurance in Saudi Arabia
The 48th edition of the Dakar Rally (January 3–17, 2026) marks the seventh consecutive year in Saudi Arabia, kicking off the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) season.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Organized by ASO, this year’s event promises to be one of the toughest in recent history, with a reworked route emphasizing raw endurance over gimmicks. The rally starts and finishes in the Red Sea coastal city of Yanbu, featuring a massive loop through central Saudi Arabia’s diverse deserts, rocky tracks, and dunes—without venturing into the vast Empty Quarter this time.
Route and Schedule Overview
The total distance is approximately 8,000 km (7,994 km for cars), including nearly 5,000 km (4,880 km) of timed special stages—one of the highest competitive kilometer counts in the Saudi era. The format includes a short prologue, 13 full stages, and a single rest day in Riyadh on January 10.
Key highlights:
– Prologue (Jan 3): Yanbu loop (98 km total, 23 km special) – Sets starting order.
– Week 1: Focuses on northern regions with fast tracks and building intensity, leading to a long liaison to Riyadh.
– Marathon Stages: Two pairs (Stages 4–5: Al Ula to Hail; Stages 9–10: Wadi Ad Dawasir to Bisha) – Competitors get limited “refuge” bivouacs with no external assistance, forcing self-reliance for repairs.
– Week 2: Heavy on dunes around Wadi Ad Dawasir and navigation challenges en route back to Yanbu.
– New addition: Mid-stage service points on select rocky sections for tire changes and minor fixes, aiding survival without diluting the challenge.
| Date | Stage | Location/Route | Total km | Special km |
| Jan 3 | Prologue | Yanbu → Yanbu | 98 | 23 |
| Jan 4 | Stage 1 | Yanbu → Yanbu | 518 | 305 |
| Jan 5 | Stage 2 | Yanbu → Al Ula | 504 | 400 |
| Jan 6 | Stage 3 | Al Ula → Al Ula | 666 | 422 |
| Jan 7 | Stage 4 (Marathon) | Al Ula → Al Ula | 526 | 451 |
| Jan 8 | Stage 5 (Marathon) | Al Ula → Hail | 417 | 356 |
| Jan 9 | Stage 6 | Hail → Riyadh | 920 | 331 |
| Jan 10 | Rest Day | Riyadh | – | – |
| Jan 11 | Stage 7 | Riyadh → Wadi Ad Dawasir | 876 | 462 |
| Jan 12 | Stage 8 | Wadi Ad Dawasir → Wadi Ad Dawasir | 717 | 481 |
| Jan 13 | Stage 9 (Marathon) | Wadi Ad Dawasir → Bisha | 540 | 418 |
| Jan 14 | Stage 10 (Marathon) | Bisha → Bisha | 417 | 371 |
| Jan 15 | Stage 11 | Bisha → Al Henakiyah | 882 | 347 |
| Jan 16 | Stage 12 | Al Henakiyah → Yanbu | 718 | 310 |
| Jan 17 | Stage 13 | Yanbu → Yanbu | 141 | 105 |
Dakar director David Castera emphasized balance and fatigue: “We have almost 5,000 kilometers of timed stages… It’s been a long time since we’ve had that many kilometers.”
Key Changes from 2025
– Scrapped the controversial 48-hour chrono stage (blamed for crashes and strategic gaming).
– Revived classic two-day marathons (twice) for authentic self-sufficiency.
– Reduced bivouacs for fresher support teams when available.
– No Empty Quarter, shifting focus to varied sand types, rocks, and canyons.
Main Categories and Top Contenders
Over 325 vehicles are entered across bikes, cars, trucks, SSVs, and more.
– Bikes: Defending champion Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM) aims to repeat his wire-to-wire 2025 dominance. Challengers include Honda’s Ricky Brabec (two-time winner), Adrien Van Beveren, Tosha Scharein; Hero’s Ross Branch and José Ignacio Cornejo.
– Cars (Ultimate): Reigning champ Yazeed Al-Rajhi defends in Toyota. Heavyweights: Carlos Sainz (Ford), Nasser Al-Attiyah and Sébastien Loeb (Dacia Sandriders), Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Henk Lategan/Seth Quintero.
– Notable debuts: Defender enters the new Stock category with the D7X-R, driven by 14-time winner Stéphane Peterhansel.
The 2026 Dakar strips away experiments, returning to core endurance roots. With massive timed mileage, dual marathons, and Saudi’s unforgiving terrain, expect attrition to separate survivors from winners. The action starts in Yanbu—get ready for two weeks of relentless adventure.