Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Honda, and Hero have confirmed their key rider line-ups for the Dakar Rally 2026, scheduled to take place in January in Saudi Arabia, officials said. The announcements come as teams ramp up preparations following KTM’s dominant 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship season and ahead of the desert classic’s next edition.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has confirmed a three-rider RallyGP squad for Dakar Rally 2026, featuring reigning Dakar champion Daniel Sanders of Australia, Argentine rider Luciano Benavides, and Spaniard Edgar Canet, officials said. The announcement follows KTM’s dominant 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) season, in which KTM’s program is managed by Andreas Hölzl, who is overseeing preparations and testing, including work on the new-generation KTM 450 Rally bike in Morocco, according to Argentine outlet Campeones and KTM’s official release.
Sanders secured four wins in five rounds, solidifying his status as the top rider to watch in the upcoming rally.
Sanders leads KTM’s RallyGP effort as the defending champion and W2RC titleholder, while Benavides returns for a consecutive season targeting overall victory. Canet moves up from KTM’s Rally2 category to join the premier class for the first time, leaving the Rally2 title open for 2026, sources confirmed. KTM’s three-rider RallyGP entry contrasts with Honda’s four-rider squad and Hero MotoSports’ two-rider team in the same category.
Monster Energy Honda HRC will field the same four RallyGP riders as in 2025: Ricky Brabec and Skyler Howes of the United States, France’s Adrien Van Beveren, and Spain’s Tosha Schareina, according to specialized rally coverage. Honda has made no new signings for the RallyGP squad, maintaining continuity in its top-tier lineup. Brabec, a former Dakar winner, remains Honda’s lead rider, with Van Beveren, Howes, and Schareina forming a multinational team aiming for strong overall results. Honda’s RallyGP riders are also listed among the favorites for Dakar 2026 in pre-event previews by Red Bull and other media outlets.
In addition to its RallyGP team, Honda has launched an official Rally2 factory program, expanding its presence in the feeder category. The Rally2 lineup includes Martim Ventura and Preston Campbell, both of whom competed in the final two W2RC events of 2025 before being officially integrated into the factory team as of December 10, 2025, according to official reports. Honda’s Rally2 program signals a strategic investment in developing future Dakar contenders, paralleling KTM’s approach of promoting riders from Rally2 to RallyGP.
Hero MotoSports confirmed a two-rider RallyGP lineup with Botswana’s Ross Branch and Chile’s José Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo returning to the team, sources said. Both riders will compete under the same team colors as in 2025, maintaining the squad’s continuity. Hero has also invested in the Rally2 category, fielding Tobias Ebster, who finished second in the 2025 Rally2 world championship, according to rally specialist coverage. This dual-category strategy places Hero alongside KTM and Honda in cultivating talent across both RallyGP and Rally2 classes.
The combined factory RallyGP entries from KTM, Honda, and Hero total nine riders: three for KTM, four for Honda, and two for Hero, records show. KTM enters Dakar 2026 as the defending champion in RallyGP, Rally2, Teams, and Constructors, reflecting its dominant 2025 season. Honda and Hero have emphasized stability in their lineups, with no changes to their RallyGP riders compared with the previous year, while KTM’s only alteration is Canet’s promotion to the premier class.
Dakar Rally 2026 is scheduled to run from January 3 to 17 in Saudi Arabia, marking the 48th running of the event, according to pre-event coverage by Campeones and other media. The rally will cover approximately 8,000 kilometers in total, with nearly 5,000 kilometers designated as competitive special stages. Organizers and specialist outlets describe Dakar 2026 as the toughest rally-raid in the world, underscoring the endurance and skill required from factory riders and their teams.
Preparations across all three factory teams include intensive testing and race strategy development, with KTM notably conducting sessions in Morocco under team manager Hölzl. Media previews consistently list Sanders (KTM), Brabec (Honda), Van Beveren (Honda), Branch (Hero), and Benavides (KTM) among the primary contenders for overall victory, framing the event as a highly competitive three-way battle in the RallyGP category.
