Date, route and program of the race

On Saturday, June 7, 2025, David Castera presented the first information about the Dakar Rally 2026, and even though his team did not prepare any outright radical changes for the competitors, we received a few surprises. However, the basis is still the same: the Dakar Rally is returning for the seventh time to the territory of Saudi Arabia, a country four times larger than France, where, according to the organizers, there is still much to discover.

The race will start on January 3, 2026 with a prologue, followed by 13 stages, and the finish line will be seen by (the luckier and more resilient) crews on January 17. A total of approx. 8,000 kilometers will await the competitors, of which 5,000 will be timed specials. Each should measure over 400 km, and the longest should be 505 km, while a full 70% of the routes should be new. The four stages should have separate routes for motorcyclists and cars, which has proven itself in the past – in terms of safety and the difficulty of navigation.

The track will take a large circuit from Yanbu back to Yanbu (with a free day in Riyadh), because this city on the shores of the Red Sea has a port and an international airport, which is logistically extremely advantageous for the entire Dakar caravan. This will eliminate last year’s endless crossings to the start and back from the finish line, which will surely please everyone. However, due to logistical reasons, the Wasteland with its huge dunes was also dropped from the program – and the competitors are no longer welcoming it so enthusiastically.

“We will miss the stages in the Empty Quarter, because there we showed our real skills. We felt strong there, these challenging stages helped us win the Dakar twice. In addition, the whole race will be faster,” notes Martin Macík jr. However, the participants should not lose the dunes, they should complete two stages in them (although not as huge as in the Wasteland). The rest will be made up of pairs of stones/rocks and sand/gravel, although the organizer did not want to guess in what proportion.

Along with the Desolate End, the special two-day Chrono 48 stage was also dropped from the program – again primarily for logistical reasons (the organizer does not have to build several bivouacs along the route). Instead, two marathon stages will await the crews (one in the middle of the first week, the other in the middle of the second) with a minimalist bivouac (they call it “marathon-refuge”): The competitors will be given food, a tent, a mattress and a sleeping bag… and that’s the end of it. No showers, no toilets. Just like in the old days with the aim of getting the competitors out of their comfort zone. And even if it sounds romantic, the idea of ​​how top pilots, used to the comfort of their homes, run for the nearest dune with toilet paper in hand, is still rather strange…

If it seems to you that the organizers have made their work a little easier this time, then you perceive it quite correctly: They stuck to a proven concept, did not change the rules, did not invent any revolutionary innovations. They just simplified the logistics for themselves and the entire accompanying ensemble (the four stages will have the start and finish in the same bivouac). All the more, the teams can focus on what is really important: Racing!

Along with the first information, registration for the Dakar Rally 2026 was opened, further information – especially the detailed unveiling of the entire route – awaits us at the end of November.