Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will retain Luciano Benavides, Daniel Sanders and Edgar Canet for the 2027 Dakar Rally, with all three competing on the KTM 450 RALLY. The lineup remains unchanged, but the event will not: Dakar is heading back to African soil for the first time in years, beginning in Portugal before moving into Morocco.

Benavides enters as the reigning winner after claiming his maiden Dakar victory in January 2026. The Argentine finished just two seconds ahead of Ricky Brabec, and now expects Morocco’s terrain and conditions to play to his strengths. His record there gives him a reason for confidence as the event moves into a setting distinct from the one used in recent editions.

Sanders brings the credentials of a 2025 Dakar winner and World Rally-Raid Championship winner. His 2026 Dakar was interrupted by a collarbone fracture during the 10th stage, yet he completed the final two stages and secured fifth overall. Later in the year, the Australian won Rally-Raid Portugal and the Desafío Ruta 40, while placing second at Rallye du Maroc.

Canet, the youngest of the three riders, recorded his first victory in the premier RallyGP class at Rallye du Maroc, winning each of the event’s five days. The 2027 Dakar will be his third start. The 49th edition is scheduled for January 9–23, 2027, leaving from Loulé-Faro in Portugal, crossing into Morocco and finishing in Marrakech.