Overview
- The duo ended their 2026 Dakar campaign on stage four after further time losses caused by tyre damage.
- A large deficit from stage one had already made a successful title defense unlikely.
- Both competitors sustained spinal compression fractures in an April crash at Baja Jordanien that led to roughly 150 days out.
- Gottschalk had surgery at Murnau to fix four vertebrae, with the screws scheduled for removal later this year.
- They intend to return to future rallies once fully recovered, saying they still have the pace to compete.