Luciano Benavides defeats Ricky Brabec by two seconds in dramatic Dakar Rally finish

KTM rider Luciano Benavides edged out Honda rival Ricky Brabec by just two seconds to claim a sensational Dakar Rally victory on the final day. Following a largely one-sided 2025 edition won by Daniel Sanders, the motorcycle category returned to its usual intensity this year, with several riders remaining firmly in contention throughout the two-week […]
Sebastien Loeb after 13 Dakar punctures: Cars now extremely robust, tyres the weak link

Sebastien Loeb believes tyres have become the decisive weak point in the Dakar Rally after his 2026 campaign was derailed by a string of punctures.World Rally Championship legend Loeb arrived in Saudi Arabia with a renewed hope of scoring that elusive Dakar win, having failed to do so in his previous nine participations.But the Frenchman’s […]
Dakar 2026: Dacia edges Ford and Toyota as Nasser Al-Attiyah scores sixth win

Dacia star Nasser Al-Attiyah claimed a sixth Dakar Rally victory in 2026, moving to within two wins of the outright record held by Stephane Peterhansel.In what was one of the most competitive Dakar campaigns in recent history, 10 different drivers representing five manufacturers scored individual stage wins, in stark contrast to last year’s Toyota-dominated event.Al-Attiyah […]
Dakar 2026 at ‘F1 level’ after close fight

Ford driver Nani Roma believes the Dakar Rally has reached a level of competitiveness comparable to Formula 1, after finishing second in a closely-fought 2026 event. With Ford and Dacia both now established in cross-country rallying and Toyota introducing a brand-new Hilux, the level of competition in Dakar’s cars category rose several notches this year. […]
Nasser Al-Attiyah wins to extend overall lead

Nasser Al-Attiyah moved a step closer to a sixth Dakar Rally crown by claiming victory on the penultimate stage of the 2026 event on Friday. The Dacia driver led the majority of the 311km test between Al Henakiyah and Yanbu, with Ford duo Mitch Guthrie and Mattias Ekstrom only briefly interrupting his hold during the […]
Ford’s Nani Roma survives late crash and fuel drama to keep Dakar podium hopes alive

Nani Roma described Stage 12 of the 2026 Dakar Rally as “the toughest day of my career” after a late crash, mechanical damage and a fuel shortage nearly ended his podium hopes. With the finish line in sight, the factory Ford driver lost one of the wheels on his Raptor, completing the timed part of […]
Martins Sesks set for 2026 WRC return

Martins Sesks has announced plans to contest a partial campaign in the 2026 World Rally Championship with M-Sport-Ford.Sesks and co-driver Renars Francis are set to team up with the British squad for a third season, aiming to pilot a Ford Puma Rally1 in seven WRC events beginning in Rally Sweden (12-15 February) next month. Outings […]
M-Sport reveals 2026 WRC Ford Puma

M-Sport Ford has taken the covers off the final iteration of the current Ford Puma Rally1 car that will tackle the 2026 World Rally Championship. The British squad has once again opted for a livery change for the new season with the purple look, featuring Red Bull branding from 2025, replaced with a striking white, green […]
Hyundai reveals updated 2026 WRC challenger

Hyundai has revealed its new-look i20 N Rally1 that it hopes will close the gap to rivals Toyota in the 2026 World Rally Championship.The Korean brand will sport a new livery on its car for the 2026 season that will be driven by 2024 champion Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux, while the third car will […]