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How Luciano Benavides and KTM Won The Dakar Rally

By Mathilde Gasnier
By Mathilde Gasnier

How Luciano Benavides and KTM Won The Dakar Rally

© 2026, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. From a press release issued By Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing won the 2026 Dakar Rally. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has conquered the 2026 Dakar Rally in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, sealing overall victory by just two seconds after a never-give-up fight across Saudi Arabia. Refusing to surrender despite setbacks, pressure, and one of the closest battles in Dakar history, the Argentine delivered when it mattered most, attacking right to the final kilometer on his KTM 450 RALLY to claim his first Dakar Rally victory. Daniel Sanders and Edgar Canet both reached the finish of the world’s toughest rally-raid in fifth and 32nd positions respectively, completing an extraordinary Dakar campaign defined by resilience, belief, and relentless determination from the Red Bull KTM team.
 
 
Luciano Benavides (77). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
 
Benavides delivered a standout performance throughout the event, combining outright speed, consistency, and intelligent race management to fight for the overall victory right to the very end of the rally. The Argentine claimed three stage wins, including a decisive victory during the event’s first marathon stage, and consistently ran at the front as the terrain became increasingly demanding. By refusing to give up and attacking until the last day, Luciano sealed an extraordinary Dakar Rally victory, the greatest achievement of his career to date, and underlined his status as one of the leading forces in rally-raid competition.
 
Benavides’ win – the closest in the history of the event – marks KTM’s 21st Dakar Rally title and continues a remarkable family legacy, following Dakar triumphs by his brother Kevin in 2021 and 2023.
 
 
Luciano Benavides (77). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Luciano Benavides: “I still can’t believe it. I never stopped dreaming. I woke up today full of energy and motivation, just thinking about what I could do and trusting in myself, and that was the key for this Dakar. I did this for myself, and this feeling is unreal. To win by just two seconds is unbelievable. I even missed the last two corners and nearly crashed, so it was right on the limit, but it paid off. I honestly can’t describe this moment. This is my ninth Dakar, and it shows that if you never stop dreaming, never stop believing, and keep fighting for your goals, anything is possible. I never gave up. Even today, when I was losing time and I saw Ricky pushing hard, I kept telling myself it wasn’t over until the last kilometer. In the end, he made a small mistake and I got it right. It’s just unreal. Vamos Argentina! Now it’s time to celebrate with my family, my friends, my sponsors, and everyone who has supported me through all these years to achieve this dream.”
 
Daniel Sanders’ Dakar was defined by determination and resilience. After showing front-running pace in the opening half of the rally and spending multiple days at the head of the overall standings, the Australian suffered injuries during the second week that significantly impacted his ability to push at full speed. Despite the pain, Sanders dug deep to complete the remaining stages and reach the finish in an incredible fifth place overall, demonstrating the grit and toughness that took him to the 2025 Dakar and World Rally-Raid Championship titles in dominant fashion.
 
 
Daniel Sanders (1). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Daniel Sanders: “I’m really happy for the team, and that’s just Dakar – it’s never over until it’s over. Every day is different and anything can happen. I only heard the news at the finish. I was in a lot of pain and honestly just ready to lie down, but that gave me the extra motivation to go and see Luciano and congratulate him. It’s so cool and really incredible for the whole team. Unfortunately, I was unlucky in my own race and out of the fight for the win, but the result is still in the team, and that’s something special. Huge congratulations to everyone who worked so hard again this year, consistency has really paid off.”
 
For Edgar Canet, the 2026 Dakar Rally represented a major milestone in his career. Competing in the RallyGP category for the first time, the Spaniard made an immediate impact by winning the prologue and stage one, becoming the youngest-ever stage winner in the bike category. An issue with his rear mousse while pushing hard on stage five halted his charge in the overall standings, but Canet continued to demonstrate impressive speed and strong navigation throughout the remainder of the rally. Gaining invaluable experience, Edgar completed his second Dakar and first at RallyGP level in emphatic fashion, finishing the event on a high with a commanding victory on the final stage.
 
 
Edgar Canet (73). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Edgar Canet: “It’s been a really crazy race for me. These two weeks were full of emotions, so many ups and downs, but the most important thing is that we made it to the end. I won three stages, and Luciano taking the overall win is huge. I’m super, super happy for him. It’s been a crazy Dakar, and I couldn’t be happier for the whole team and the entire KTM family. We showed throughout the race which bike is the fastest in the desert, and that was a big objective for us. Now the motivation is even higher to keep working, keep fighting, and keep improving. I know exactly what my main goal is for next year, so I’m really motivated to keep pushing and keep training.”
 
 
 
Andreas Hölzl – Rally Team Manager: “We are incredibly proud of what Luciano, Edgar, Chucky, and the entire team have achieved – it’s honestly unbelievable. We fought right until the very last meter and never gave up, and that was the key. Dakar always writes its own stories, and this year was another perfect example of that. Luciano fought from day one until the finish; he’s a true fighter, and without doubt this has been the best race of his career. It’s an incredible achievement. Edgar once again showed just how strong he is in winning the final stage. I’m really happy we have him in the team, because I’m convinced he will win a Dakar one day. And Chucky, our real survivor, deserves massive respect. I’m extremely proud of these three riders and of the whole team.”
 
 
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing won the 2026 Dakar Rally. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
KTM’s success at the 2026 Dakar Rally extended well beyond the overall classification, with victories across multiple categories. In Rally2, Toni Mulec delivered a commanding performance to secure class victory and claim a second Dakar win for BAS World KTM, underlining the competitiveness of the KTM 450 RALLY REPLICA at the highest level of customer racing. The celebrations continued in the Malle Moto class, where Benjamin Melot claimed a long-awaited Dakar victory aboard his KTM, finally stepping onto the top of the podium after four previous top-three finishes.
 
With the 2026 Dakar Rally now complete, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing turn their attention to the next chapter of the rally-raid season, building on a campaign defined by podium finishes, stage victories, and the continued development of both riders and the dominant KTM 450 RALLY at the highest level of the sport.
 
 
 
 
 
 
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Honda HRC:
 

Monster Energy Honda HRC on Dakar podium after historic final stage.

The closest finish in Dakar Rally history saw Monster Energy Honda HRC’s Ricky Brabec lose victory by a heartbreaking two seconds.

Heading into the final stage of this year’s event, Brabec held a 3’20” advantage over his main rival, Luciano Benavides, after claiming the previous day’s stage win.  With just 105 km of timed competition remaining, Brabec knew that opening the stage would leave him without tracks to follow, placing a premium on precise navigation as he chased a third Dakar title.

The final special stage featured two timed sections separated by a liaison, with riders first tackling technical mountain valley tracks before switching to a faster route along the Red Sea coastline en route to the finish line at the Yanbu bivouac.  Brabec set a strong pace early, but a navigation issue just seven kilometres from the finish cost him valuable time, ultimately denying him the coveted Bedouin Trophy.

It was a dramatic conclusion to 49 hours and 41 seconds of racing across 4,737 km of Saudi Arabia.  Despite claiming two stage victories in 2026 and bringing his Dakar stage win tally to 13, Brabec was left with a bittersweet runner-up finish.

 

 

Tosha Schareina claimed a stage podium on the final day, capping a rollercoaster two weeks.  The 2025 runner-up entered the 48th edition as one of the favourites, but a ten-minute penalty for an incorrect starting procedure on the first marathon stage forced him to rethink his strategy.  With three stage victories and a determined second-week comeback, Schareina ultimately joined teammate Brabec on the final podium in Yanbu.

Skyler Howes experienced the full spectrum of Dakar highs and lows.  A tyre issue on the first marathon stage derailed his early ambitions, but he rebounded in the final week to claim his first-ever Dakar stage victory and finish fourth overall in the opening World Rally-Raid Championship round.

Adrien Van Beveren endured a challenging 11th Dakar Rally.  His first week was compromised by a crash, metal wire becoming lodged in his wheel on stage five and difficulty finding rhythm.  Determined to turn things around, the Frenchman delivered a strong second week.  Once dialled in on his Honda CRF450 RALLY, he claimed victory on stage ten and consistently ran at the front, securing a positive sixth-place finish overall.

After a demanding Dakar, the Monster Energy Honda HRC riders will now enjoy a well-earned break before regrouping in two months’ time for Rally-Raid Portugal, taking place from 17-22 March.

 
Ruben Faria – General Manager:
 

“The last day of Dakar 2026 didn’t bring the result we were expecting, but this is Dakar — this is rally raid. Six kilometres from the end of the final stage, Ricky turned left slightly too early. He didn’t take the correct track, lost a significant amount of time, and crossed the finish line just two seconds behind Luciano.

Going into today, Ricky had a good margin thanks to the time bonuses — a gap of 4 minutes and 42 seconds over second place. With that small mistake, we lost the Dakar by just two seconds. Of course, we wanted more. We wanted to win, but we have to accept the result.

Overall, it was still a strong performance for the team: Ricky finished second, Tosha third, Skyler fourth, and Adrien sixth. Ricky delivered a very solid Dakar. Tosha made a mistake in the first week but still managed to finish with a strong overall result. Skyler struggled during the first week but recovered well in the second. Adrien lost almost an hour when a cable that was in the middle of nowhere got stuck in his wheel , yet he had an excellent second week.

Naturally, we expected more — the goal was to win, and we finished incredibly close. This has never happened before. We’ll keep pushing, aim to win the next races, and come back even stronger for the next Dakar. The team did a great job, and the Honda bikes performed extremely well throughout the rally.”

 

 

 

 

Ricky Brabec (9) – Stage 8th – Overall 2nd: 

“This Dakar was a real fight from start to finish. On the final stage, a quite confusing note led me to choose a line that wasn’t the correct one. When I turned back, Luciano was coming behind me and, seeing the situation, he stayed on the right track, which made the difference in such a close battle.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skyler Howes (10) – Stage 5th – Overall 4th: 

“A lot of crazy stuff out there. I’m super happy to make it to the finish line of this one, a lot of adversity, some things to overcome and some really good riding. I’m happy with how I rode, the team did a great job, they did awesome with the mechanics, the logistics and I’m super happy to be a part of Monster Energy Honda HRC and to make it to the finish line of this one. A lot of things to clean up on my end. As far as everything else that went for me this race, stage one I needed a little bit more patience. I got really lucky this time, my mom is looking over me and she made sure I got to the finish line of this one. So I’m super proud of that and this one is for her.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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