Dakar 2026: Prologue Extended Highlights

Factory Ford driver Mattias Ekstrom drew first blood in the 2026 Dakar Rally, edging out team-mate Mitch Guthrie in Saturday’s Prologue. The 48th edition of Dakar kicked off in earnest on 3 January, with a total of 72 cars taking the start in the Ultimate class. The Prologue featured a 95km route around the Saudi Arabian port city of Yanbu, though only 22km were timed, resulting in minimal gaps at the front of the field. Driving the V8-powered Ford Raptor, two-time DTM champion Ekstrom set the fastest time of the day, reaching the finish line in 10m48.7s. This was his third Prologue victory in five appearances, after his previous triumphs with Audi in 2023 and ‘24. Guthrie finished eight seconds behind Ekstrom in second, sealing a 1-2 for Ford as the American marque makes it second factory appearance in the Dakar.