WATCH: DAKAR 2026 ROUTE REVEALED

In just over six weeks, the 48th edition of the Dakar Rally will take place from January 3 to 17, and now its offical route has been unveiled – revealing an 8,000 km loop from Yanbu with 4,900 km of timed specials and major challenges on both sides of the Riyadh rest day. This year’s edition also marks the fifth season of the W2RC, and will bring together 325 competitive entries across FIM and FIA categories, 97 historic vehicles for the largest Dakar Classic yet, along with pushing the future of the sport with the Mission 1000 tech initiative and the debut of the Saudi Next Gen talent programme.

The Dakar will begin its unfolding with the waves of the Red Sea being the background of the bivouac in Yanbu, which will also set the scene for the finish two weeks later. Without attempting to achieve perfect symmetry, the organisation has sought to put together a balanced route without lowering the bar of the challenge. From fast tracks alternating with sandy or rocky sections, to fields of dunes extending as far as the eye can see, as well as XXL stages in which endurance will be the name of the game, the basics remain the same in 2026, but of course with new challenges and experiences.

Entrants will discover a new variant of the traditional marathon stages halfway through the first week, including a night in a bare-bones refuge-style bivouac where support will be limited to whatever assistance entrants can get from their peers (Stage 4 and 5). Race management and stamina will be key. Stage 6, the longest of the rally at 925 km (336 km against the clock), will plunge the field into a sand- and dune-fest in the run-up to the rest day in Riyadh.

After a brief respite in the Saudi capital, the inbound leg will be every bit as gruelling as the outbound one, starting with the return to competition on the road to Wadi Ad-Dawasir (Stage 7), which last hosted the rally in 2022. A second refuge-style marathon stage, this time with separate courses for the FIM and FIA fields, will crank up the pressure on the title contenders and those who “just” want to make it to the finish line. By then, some may think the worst part is already behind them, but there will still be more than 1,700 km left, including 762 km against the clock. For example, the fiendish navigation between Bisha and Al Henakiyah (Stage 11) has the potential to shake up the hierarchy. As long-time fans know, even the last grain of sand can make a difference. The time for celebration will come in Yanbu, which will reveal itself to the competitors in a new light.