Dakar 2026, cars: protagonists, favorites and surprises

With the new year comes the time for the first great motoring challenge: as per tradition, January is the month of the Dakar. The 2026 edition opens and closes at Yanbua Saudi town overlooking the Red Sea, with 325 vehicles at the start ready to face the 7,348 km of competition. The prologue on January 3rd will open an intense two weeks, with a rest day scheduled in Riyadh on January 10th and the finish line on January 17th, once again in Yanbu. There are 207 vehicles registered in the FIA ​​categories, which include cars, both Ultimate 4×4 and two-wheel drive and Stock, light Challenger and SSV vehicles and trucks. So let’s see who the protagonists are who will fight for the final victory, aware that making predictions in the Dakar is very difficult and surprises are around the corner.