Red Bull KTM Factory Racing trio of Daniel Sanders, Luciano Benavides and Edgar Canet all-set for the 2026 Dakar Rally beginning January 3 in Saudi Arabia.

After a 2025 season which saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing defy the wider situation within the Austrian manufacturer’s bank accounts and dominate the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), the message is clear for the 2026 Dakar Rally: we’re here to defend our title.

Leading the charge for KTM will be defending Dakar and W2RC champion Daniel Sanders heads the team alongside Luciano Benavides, and Edgar Canet, with the young Spaniard stepping up to the RallyGP category for the first time – a trio of riders in the main class and all contenders.

Sanders heads to Dakar as both the reigning World Rally-Raid Champion and 2025 Dakar winner. The Australian delivered an exemplary year, winning four of the five W2RC rounds and becoming only the second rider in history to lead the Dakar Rally from start to finish.

Enduro21 caught up with Chucky recently where he talked about his stellar season: Interview: Daniel Sanders “I want to be the guy who changed rally”

Confident and in prime form, Sanders’ goal will be to do the difficult task of defending his crown against his teammates and the marauding Honda Rally team boys.

Daniel Sanders: “Everything's going to plan, I’m keeping the same set up so I’m really comfortable with where we are at with the bike.

I’m confident in my fitness, everything is feeling great after Morocco and we're back in fighting shape. We’re in the middle of a training block with the team in Morocco over the next few weeks, but I’m really excited to go into Dakar.

Obviously, there is some pressure after the win this year, but we’re training hard for this and I know I can perform. The team is in a really good place, I feel ready, so we are all committed to getting out there and getting the job done again.

It’s a long race for sure. Every Dakar is different so we always take it day by day and do the best we can. Motivation is at an all-time high after our success this year, so I can’t wait for January!”

48th Dakar edition

The 48th edition of the Dakar Rally will take place from January 3 – 17, 2026, with a start and finish in Yanbu on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. Covering around 8,000 km, including a record distance of timed special stages, the route will explore new terrain in western and central Saudi Arabia, avoiding the Empty Quarter for the first time. Riders will face two marathon-style stages without any assistance, with a rest day in Riyadh on January 10 providing the only pause in an otherwise demanding event.

Luciano goes it alone

Luciano Benavides delivered a strong and consistent 2025 season, earning multiple podiums and his best-ever Dakar result with a fourth-place finish in January. An injury forced him to withdraw from Rallye du Maroc in October, and he will race the 2026 Dakar without his brother Kevin alongside him on two wheels (the former Dakar winner is racing but on four wheels this time), Luciano has since returned to full fitness and is targeting the overall podium when he returns to action in Saudi Arabia.

Luciano Benavides: “Preparations for Dakar have been pretty tough after my crash in Morocco. My main goal has been to get fitter every day and get back on the bike as soon as possible to be ready to race Dakar. There are so many positives to take from this year, even from my injury as it has forced me to take a step back and focus on myself 100%.

It’s awesome to be back on the bike now for our training and testing in Morocco, and I’m confident that I’ll be in even better condition in time for Dakar because of it. I think it will be tough mentally, because it is the first time I’ll be racing the Dakar Rally after a recent injury, but as always my goal is to do my best every single day.

I’ve gained a lot of experience and perspective over the years, so I know it works for me to focus on myself and not compare results and times to other riders. I’ll be giving it my all on every kilometre of every stage! If I can do that, I believe I can end up on the podium. I’m looking forward to getting out there!”

Canet moves up to GP class

Completing the line-up is Edgar Canet, who takes a major step forward in his young career as he joins his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates in the RallyGP ranks, despite this being only one year in the KTM team.

The 2025 Rally2 World Cup Champion impressed with dominant class wins and overall top-10 results during his debut season, and now looks to test himself against the world’s elite on the biggest stage in rally.

Edgar Canet: “We’re ready to take on Dakar 2026! I’ve put a lot of hours in on the bike, so I’m feeling really confident ahead of January.

Moving up into the top category with the big dogs in RallyGP after just one year is super exciting. I have a great feeling on the bike and I’m happy with my fitness as I have worked hard to get to a good level.

 I know how unpredictable Dakar can be day to day, but I believe I have the speed and the navigation skills needed to run up front the entire time. I learned a lot from the 2025 Dakar from my teammates, so I’m feeling a lot more prepared heading into my second attempt.

We have to manage the race and take it as it comes every day, but we have a great team behind us and I’m really excited to get things underway in Saudi Arabia.”

Under the guidance of Team Manager Andreas Hölzl, the team has been preparing in Morocco to fine-tune bike setup and strategy ahead the 2026 Dakar Rally, which also opens the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. Following Dakar, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team will once again contest the full five-round W2RC calendar.

Andreas Hölzl – Rally Team Manager: “We are ready for Dakar! Chucky is really well prepared after his incredible season and he has proven that he is the best in the world. Heading into Dakar 2026 as reigning champion, he will of course be looking to defend his title so most of his setup will remain the same.

Edgar is really excited to be racing in the RallyGP class! He did an amazing job this year in Rally2, winning the World Cup and putting the fight to the top guys all season.

Luciano is fully recovered from his injury at the last round of the championship in Morocco, and he is enjoying training here again with the boys ahead of January.

The team is doing an amazing job from the technical side in preparing the bikes perfectly for the guys, and they work so hard every day behind the scenes to get everything ready. We’re excited to get out to Saudi Arabia and defend our titles!”

The 2026 Dakar Rally begins January 3. Enduro21 is all over it, as always, so check in for daily insight and results. More on the 2026 race in Saudi here: Dakar Rally 2026: First route details revealed – full bike entry list

Photo credit: Sebas Romero