Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has officially locked in its line-up for the 2027 Dakar Rally, with defending champion Luciano Benavides returning alongside Daniel Sanders and Edgar Canet as the race heads to Portugal and Morocco. KTM confirmed the trio on Nov. 3 after a 2026 season that has delivered victories for all three riders in the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), setting the stage for a title defense aboard the KTM 450 RALLY as the Dakar returns to Africa for the first time since 2007.
Benavides heads back to the Dakar riding high after one of the closest finishes in the event’s history, when the Argentine fought to the very last kilometer to win the 2026 edition by just two seconds. The maiden victory delivered KTM’s 22nd Dakar title and came just three months after a knee injury. “With the event returning to Morocco for 2027, I think the route will suit me well. I’ve always been strong in Morocco, and I really enjoy the terrain and conditions there,” Benavides said. “I’m feeling confident and excited to defend my Dakar title.”
Sanders, the Australian who won both the Dakar and the W2RC title in 2025, broke his collarbone while leading the 2026 Dakar on stage 10 but fought through the final two stages to finish fifth overall. He has since won Rally-Raid Portugal and the Desafío Ruta 40 in Argentina and finished second at the Rallye du Maroc. “I’ve only ever raced Dakar in Saudi Arabia, so heading to Portugal and Morocco will be something completely different,” Sanders said. Canet, the youngest rider on the team, stepped up to the premier RallyGP class for 2026 and earned his first RallyGP win at the Rallye du Maroc, and the Spaniard now heads into his third Dakar fired up to challenge at the front.
“I believe we are in a very strong position, and I’m really proud of everything the team has achieved as we look ahead to 2027,” Rally Team Manager Andreas Hölzl said. The 49th Dakar Rally runs January 9-23, 2027, with a prologue and 12 stages that start in Loulé-Faro, Portugal, before the race crosses into Morocco for a rest day in Agadir and the finish in Marrakech. The race also opens the 2027 W2RC season, giving Red Bull KTM its first shot at defending the crown in January.