“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fastest of them all?”, comes to mind when seeking to divine how the Dakar will unfold in January based on its route. The backdrop for the start, with the waves of the Red Sea kissing the shore next to the bivouac in Yanbu, will also set the scene for the finish two weeks later.

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 basic ingredients of the menu remain the same in 2026, but their amounts and seasonings will serve up new flavours.

The year of Yazeed Al Rajhi’s crowning achievement as the first Saudi winner of the Dakar Rally also saw the launch of the Saudi Next Gen programme, designed to foster the emergence of the country’s best budding talents. Perhaps this was a sign! In any case, many candidates came forward to emulate Hamza Bakhashab and Abdullah Al Shegawi, the two drivers who won last January and are now about to jump in at the deep end.

Did you miss the route presentation? No worries — you can watch the replay directly on the Dakar website!