Calendar

2026 Calendar

2026 W2RC CALENDAR: WRITING THE 5TH CHAPTER WITH 5 ROUNDS ACROSS 4 CONTINENTS

Five rounds will make up the fifth season of the W2RC, the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship launched in 2022. The Dakar will get the show on the road in January, while the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will wrap up the season for the first time. The convoy will visit four continents, including South America, which is returning to the calendar with the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF.

CURTAIN-RAISER IN SAUDI ARABIA

The traditional opener of the W2RC since 2022, the Dakar, will inaugurate the 2026 season too. The 48^th edition of the legendary rally raid will set out to tame the tracks and deserts of Saudi Arabia from 3 to 17 January in an odyssey that promises to keep fans on the edges of their seats. Next, the convoy will set course for Europe and the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. The event, created specifically for the championship in 2024, made a terrific first impression and will be holding its third edition from 17 to 22 March. The sole European round on the calendar will mark the beginning of spring on the continent, set against the distinctive landscapes of Iberia.

ARGENTINA REDUX

The promoter wished to alternate between the South African Safari Rally, which saw the light of day in South Africa in May 2025, and the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF. A promise made is a promise kept! The Argentinian event, part of the 2023 and 2024 W2RC series, is set to make a triumphant return in 2026. The charismatic South American community will flock to the eagerly anticipated thirteenth edition of the rally between 24 and 29 May. As the third round out of five, it will mark the transition from the first to the second half of the season.

ABU DHABI THE LAST ROUND FOR THE FIRST TIME

As usual since the launch of the series in 2022, the 2026 W2RC will feature the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc. From 28 September to 3 October, Morocco will set the field on the home straight of a season that will culminate in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge for the first time! The Emirati round, which has traditionally come right after the Dakar, has been moved to a new slot between 22 and 27 November due to Ramadan falling in February and March. The ADDC will become the third event to serve as the finale, after the Andalucía Rally (2022) and Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc (2023 through 2025).

2027 Calendar

W2RC 2027 : FIVE BANGERS WITH A NEW GROOVE

• The sixth season of the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship will retain its five-round format, once again combining the discipline’s iconic events with a rotation of newer rallies that have now firmly established their expertise.
• The three cornerstone events – the Dakar, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and Rallye OLA Energie du Maroc – return to their traditional dates. The South African Safari Rally is back, while the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal further cements its place on the calendar.
• A brand-new scheduling rhythm has been introduced for these well-established events, carefully designed to create more breathing room between rounds.

THE FOUNDING EVENTS RETURN TO THEIR TRADITIONAL SLOTS
The 49^th edition of the Dakar, the championship’s traditional curtain-raiser since 2022, will once again set the tone from 1 to 15 January as it returns to Saudi Arabia for its eighth edition.
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge regains its place as the second round of the season. Its 36^th edition will take place in the United Arab Emirates from 21 to 26 March.
The Rallye OLA Energie du Maroc will once again serve as the championship finale, from 24 to 29 October, marking its 28^th edition.

SOUTH AFRICA MAKES ITS RETURN
The South African Safari Rally takes over from the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF in Argentina, continuing the alternation between the two events. The second edition of the South African rally returns to the heart of the calendar, taking place from 14 to 19 June. Together with the championship finale in Morocco, it gives Africa equal representation with Asia, with two rounds on each continent, as was the case in 2025.
The bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, the other event created specifically for the championship, secures its place on the calendar for a fourth consecutive year. The European round will be held as the fourth event of the season, from 21 to 26 September.

A SENSE OF TIMING
By remaining in the Middle East after the Dakar with the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the calendar allows for an efficient and cost-effective overland logistical transfer. Scheduling the Abu Dhabi event more than two months after the Dakar gives competitors and teams valuable recovery time following the most demanding race of the year.
The South African Safari Rally, held seven weeks after the second round, sits naturally on the maritime route to Europe, where the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal will take place three months after the South African event.
Four weeks separate the European round from the championship finale in Morocco—more than double the gap in 2025. Finally, by concluding at the end of October, the championship leaves two full months before the next major appointment: the 2028 Dakar.

While attention is already turning towards next season, the outcome of the current campaign will first be decided at the Rallye OLA Energie du Maroc, from 28 September to 3 October, and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, from 22 to 27 November. The rally-raid odyssey continues—see you in a few weeks for the next chapter!