- The entry list for the 13th edition of the Desafio Ruta 40 YPF reveals a real surge of enthusiasm for the third round of the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship in Argentina (24–29 May). The caravan has grown by 38% compared to the previous 2024 edition, with 116 FIA/FIM vehicles expected! There will be 78 riders in the bike/quad categories (including 75 in W2RC), and 38 FIA crews (including 31 in W2RC), all coming to enjoy what is being described as « the best edition of the past ten years », spanning 2,993 kilometres (including 1,727 km of selective sections).
- In the bike category, championship leader and local hero Luciano Benavides will face a major challenge on home soil against Tosha Schareina, Daniel Sanders and Ricky Brabec,: the top four are separated by just 10 points, something never seen before in the history of the championship! The gaps are also tight in Rally2, with only 5 points separating leader Toni Mulec and his runner-up Martim Ventura.
- In the car category, Sébastien Loeb capitalised on his victory in Portugal to take the lead in the FIA championship from Nasser Al Attiyah, sitting 7 points ahead of his Dacia teammate. Ford and Toyota will be chasing their first victory of the season. The three Defender vehicles led by Stock championship leader Rokas Baciuska will discover the event for the first time. In Challenger and SSV, the overall standings could be shaken up.
FIM: LUCIANO BENAVIDES CHALLENGED ON HOME SOIL
Dakar winner Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) leads the RallyGP championship despite finishing 6th at the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. The Argentinian is one of the favourites. Backed by his home crowd, the younger of the Benavides brothers already won the W2RC classification of « his » event in 2023. Tosha Schareina, overall winner that year, was then making his debut with Monster Energy Honda HRC and was not yet competing in the championship. One year later, the Spaniard finished 2nd in Cordoba, just 15 seconds behind teammate Ricky Brabec. He currently sits 2nd in the standings thanks to two podium finishes (3rd at the Dakar, 2nd in Portugal). Brabec is therefore the defending champion of the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF, having finished second in the W2RC standings in 2023 behind… Benavides. Beating the man who defeated him by two seconds on his home turf at the 2026 Dakar Rally would certainly not go amiss for the Californian.
Reigning world champion Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has never truly shone in Argentina (9th in 2024). But the Australian had not yet developed the machine with which he dominated the competition the following year. Since his crash at the Dakar last January (5th despite the pain), « Chucky » won in Portugal and launched his comeback in the championship (currently 3rd). Impossible not to include him among the favourites! Already 5th and then 3rd overall here, Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy Honda HRC) has a special connection with Argentina. His recent 3rd place in Portugal once again proved he must be counted among the contenders. 2024 world champion Ross Branch (Hero MotoSports) is also comfortable in Argentina, having finished in the overall top five in the last two editions (4th and 5th).
FACTORY TEAMS VS PRIVATEER IN RALLY2
Among the 54 riders entered in Rally2, leader Toni Mulec (BAS World KTM) will reunite with his usual rivals since the Dakar. While the Slovenian privateer is already familiar with Martim Ventura and Preston Campbell (Monster Energy Honda HRC), he will discover a third HRC recruit: the Reds are introducing Bruno Crivilin to the international rally-raid scene, a 29-year-old Brazilian phenomenon in his home country! A Honda Racing Brazil rider since 2019, Crivilin comes from enduro (14 national titles, podium in the 2020 junior world championship) and currently leads the Brazilian rally championship.
Two other riders bring the total number of official Rally2 riders to five: Harith Noah with Sherco TVS Factory Racing, and especially Michael Docherty, the record holder for stage wins in the category, making his debut with Hero MotoSports.
In Rally3, among the 4 entrants is Mongolian rider Murun Purevdorj (Xraids Experience) aboard a Hero machine. The Indian brand will therefore be represented in all three categories. His teammate Eduardo Alan is the only rider to have already stood on the Rally3 podium here (2nd in 2024). Among the 8 quad riders, championship leader Antanas Kanopkinas (CFMoto Thunder Racing) reunites with Senegalese rider Alexis Varagne (GM Motorsport), currently 3rd overall. He will also battle against the Yamahas of four Argentine riders and the Can-Am machines of Bolivian father-and-daughter duo Leonardo and Suany Martinez.
FIA: LOEB AND SAINZ, ROOKIES LIKE NO OTHERS
The FIA race will feature 24 Ultimate vehicles, almost triple the 2024 total (9), including 21 entered in the championship. The last two winners of the event are among them. In his first participation in 2023, Nasser Al Attiyah claimed victory ahead of Juan Cruz Yacopini and Yazeed Al Rajhi, giving Toyota a clean sweep of the podium. The following year, the Saudi driver defeated the Qatari, who had switched to the Prodrive Hunter. Al Attiyah and Al Rajhi hold the best car-category statistics in the current caravan. The Qatari, now racing for The Dacia Sandriders, is the favourite thanks to the experience gained during the 2023–24 campaigns and the form shown at the Dakar last January. Reigning world champion Lucas Moraes also secured a top-five finish here in 2023.
His teammate and championship leader Sébastien Loeb has no previous experience of the event. But the Frenchman has at least three strong arguments up his sleeve: he comes into the race after a series of metronomic performances (top four in the last five rounds, including two victories), he raced four Dakars in South America (including two podium finishes), and the Rally Argentina is the event he won most during his WRC career! No fewer than 8 victories went to the nine-time world champion between 2005 and 2013, including 7 in a row from his first appearance in Cordoba onwards (2010 was not on the FIA calendar).
The Ford Raptors have never competed in the Desafio Ruta 40 YPF. The Blues are hoping to rediscover the impressive team performance they showed at Dakar 2026, with three vehicles in the top five. After their withdrawal on the very first evening of the Portugal race, they are relying on the experience of the three selected drivers: Nani Roma, the team’s best performer at the Dakar (2nd), is also a former winner of the Desafio Ruta 40 (2013). Like Loeb, Carlos Sainz has never taken part in the event. However, the Madrilenian won twice during the South American Dakar years (2010–18), after claiming victory at Rally Argentina 2004 in his final full WRC season. Mitch Guthrie knows the event after placing his T3 in 5th overall in 2023 (best non-T1+ vehicle). Three customer Raptors could support the factory team with Denis Krotov (M-Sport Rally Raid), Martin Prokop (Orlen Jipocar) and Kees Koolen (RD Limited).
TOYOTA, STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Toyota, three-time reigning world constructors’ champion, is on familiar ground in Argentina. Winner of the last two editions with Al Attiyah and Al Rajhi, the Japanese manufacturer also holds the record for victories (5 out of 12) and represents 50% of the Ultimate field with 12 Hilux entries in W2RC. These include the Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC cars of Seth Quintero (3rd in the championship), Henk Lategan and Akira Miura; the Overdrive Racing entries of Al Rajhi and Hernan Garces; the Toyota Gazoo Racing SA cars of Joao Ferreira (3rd in Portugal) and Saood Variawa; the SVR of local driver Lucio Alvarez; those of brothers Marcos and Cristian Baumgart; and finally the Energylandia Rally cars of father-and-son duo Marek and Eryk Goczal.
In Stock, this will also be the first appearance in Argentina for the factory Defender entries. Leader Rokas Baciuska has already impressed at the event, finishing 6th overall in 2024 (1st Challenger). Like Sainz, Stéphane Peterhansel knows Argentina well. The Frenchman competed in all 11 South American editions of the Dakar, winning four times (2012–13, 2016–17). Sara Price will be a true rookie.
In Challenger, the 3 W2RC entries will take advantage of the small field to climb back up the championship standings. Second overall, Puck Klaassen (KTM X-Bow powered by G Rally) is in pole position to take the lead on 29 May. Alexandre Pinto (Old Friends Racing), who jumped straight into 5th overall after winning on home soil in Portugal, made a spectacular debut in the category following his SSV title last year. His compatriot Pedro Gonçalves (BBR Motorsport, 11th) also has the opportunity to bounce back. Among the 5 W2RC entries in the SSV class, Jeremias Ferioli (Can-Am Factory) is 2nd in the championship and could dream of taking the lead at home.
SCHEDULE (*)
• Friday 22 May:
- 9 a.m.–5 p.m.: opening of the bivouac at San Juan Villicum circuit
• Saturday 23 May:
- 8 a.m.–5 p.m.: FIM/FIA administrative checks**
- 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.: FIM/FIA scrutineering**
- 9 a.m.–5 p.m.: media centre opening, media accreditations
- 10 a.m.–5 p.m.: private FIM/FIA test session (optional)
- 7 p.m.: general briefing
• Sunday 24 May:
- 7 a.m.–11 a.m.: FIA administrative checks for W2RC competitors
- 7:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.: FIA scrutineering for W2RC competitors
- 12 p.m.–2 p.m.: FIM prologue (9 km)
- 2 p.m.–4 p.m.: FIA shakedown
- 6 p.m.: autograph session
- 6:30 p.m.: pre-race press conference
- 7:10 p.m.: FIM starting order selection after the prologue
- 7:20 p.m.: start ceremony
• Monday 25 May: Stage 1 (San Juan – San Juan) / Total: 511 km / SS: 340 km
• Tuesday 26 May: Stage 2 (San Juan – San Rafael) / Total: 721 km / SS: 334 km
• Wednesday 27 May: Stage 3 (San Rafael – San Rafael) / Total: 575 km / SS: 409 km
• Thursday 28 May: Stage 4 (San Rafael – San Juan) / Total: 634 km / SS: 324 km
• Friday 29 May: Stage 5 (San Juan – San Juan) / Total: 552 km / SS: 320 km
- 4:30 p.m.: final press conference
- 5 p.m.: podium ceremony – prize giving
*Local time GMT –3
**Optional for W2RC competitors
