Overview
- Edgar Canet, 20, won the 22 km motorcycle prologue to become the youngest Dakar moto stage winner and the first overall leader.
- In cars, Ford’s Mattias Ekström set the fastest prologue time ahead of teammate Mitch Guthrie, with Carlos Sainz eighth at 15 seconds, determining Sunday’s start order only.
- Argentina opened strongly as Luciano Benavides finished fourth in bikes, while in Challenger Nicolás Cavigliasso/Valentina Pertegarini took fourth and Kevin Benavides debuted in seventh.
- The 2026 route covers nearly 8,000 km across 13 stages through January 17, with the rally starting and finishing in Yanbu across multiple categories.
- The 2026 World Rally‑Raid Championship calendar is confirmed, featuring the return of Argentina’s Desafío Ruta 40 on May 24–29.