Dakar 2027 cancelled? How to deal with the uncertainty

Updated 20 September 2026

The Dakar 2027 is not cancelled, and nobody has announced a decision either way. ASO told us in writing on 15 September that the cancellation rumours are unfounded and that a communication would follow shortly. Five days later, that communication is still outstanding. In the meantime, every team, from the factory squads to the privateers in the Dakar Classic, has to keep preparing without knowing for certain what it is preparing for. This is what the big names have said and shown in the past week, and how we at TimeOut Racing are dealing with it.

Preparation is in its most active phase

For all teams, the weeks between the Rallye du Maroc and the end of November are the busiest of the year. Vehicles come back from Morocco, are stripped, rebuilt and packed. Spare parts, tyres and crew logistics are finalised. For the Dakar, the technical and administrative scrutineering for Europe takes place on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona, and from there the vehicles travel to Saudi Arabia by ship. The decision on whether to go has to be made before that, not in December.

That is why the pressure is on now, and why KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer spoke openly about it in an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com on 19 September. Beirer described the situation as unsettled. As long as the event is on the calendar, KTM has to be prepared, but some team members are not keen on flying in that direction, and everyone is waiting for news that the Strait of Hormuz is open and the wider situation has calmed down. Time, he said, is working against them: after the Rallye du Maroc, the Dakar material has to be prepared and sent on its way.

KTM has a full-time rally squad under contract, plus additional staff who work only for the Dakar, from the race doctor to the truck drivers. Those contracts are signed and the costs are already running. Beirer also made clear what is at stake for the brand: KTM has won 21 of the last 25 editions, and the Dakar is worth more to the rally department than the rest of the World Rally-Raid Championship combined.

SPEEDWEEK's own assessment is that hopes for a Dakar in Saudi Arabia in January have shrunk to a minimum. We do not share that certainty, but we take the reasoning seriously, and so should you.

The wider picture: what other series have done

The Dakar is not being looked at in isolation. Since the Iran war began in February, several major events in the Gulf have been moved or cancelled. Formula 1 moved the Bahrain Grand Prix in early October to Sepang in Malaysia, and the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds in late November and December are widely expected not to take place there. The MotoGP round in Qatar in November is facing cancellation. The WRC has already dropped its Saudi Arabian round in mid-November. The Dubai 24 Hours, originally set for the second weekend of January 2027, has been transferred to Kyalami in South Africa.

Two things distinguish the Dakar from those events. It runs in the west of Saudi Arabia, away from the Gulf coast, and it does not depend on a single circuit. And ASO has a long record of adapting: stages have been rerouted for weather, security and logistics in most editions, and in 2008 the organiser cancelled the entire rally on the advice of the French government rather than take an unacceptable risk. That precedent cuts both ways. It shows that ASO will cancel if it has to, and it shows that ASO does not cancel lightly.

Toyota: a new car for Dakar 2027, presented this week

Toyota Gazoo Racing chose this week, of all weeks, to show its Dakar 2027 line-up in full colours. On 17 September the team revealed the race livery of the DKR GR FC Hilux, a hydrogen fuel cell version of its Dakar pickup, together with its partners Jameel Motorsport, Denso, Toyo Tires and IAV. The car is entered in the Dakar Future Mission 1000 category, which runs alongside the main event over 13 special stages and roughly 1,000 kilometres. Jameel Motorsport, Toyota's distributor in Saudi Arabia, will handle local logistics and support. The regular GR DKR Hilux EVO T1+ with its twin-turbo V6 remains the contender for overall victory.

We cannot speak for Toyota, but the timing speaks for itself. A technology demonstration announced after the September attacks, with a Saudi partner for local logistics, is a programme built around a Dakar in Saudi Arabia in January.

Ford: testing, not talking

Ford Racing and M-Sport have not publicly commented on the situation. What they have done is keep working. Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma tested the Raptor T1+ in the Moroccan dunes over the summer, with a further test in Nevada planned for August, and the team is focused on the 2027 regulation change that adds 20 kilograms to the cars. Ford sits in the top four of the W2RC manufacturers' standings alongside Dacia and Toyota, and all three will be at the Rallye du Maroc from 28 September to 4 October. Ford CEO Jim Farley has said repeatedly that his goal is a Dakar win. Nothing we have seen suggests the programme is being paused.

Honda: a change in the line-up, no statement on the Dakar

Monster Energy Honda HRC has not issued a statement on the Dakar 2027 either. The news from the Honda camp is a personnel one: Skyler Howes, third at the Dakar in 2023 and a Honda factory rider in 2026, has moved to the Chinese newcomer ZX Moto. Announced on 18 September, Howes will ride alongside Tobias Ebster at the Rallye du Maroc, Howes in RallyGP, Ebster in Rally2. ZX Moto, backed by founder Zhang Xue and run with the established Joyride team, is explicitly using Morocco as preparation for the Dakar 2027. A manufacturer entering the sport with two top riders and the Dakar as its declared target is at least a sign that nobody is planning on the basis that the race will not happen.

For Honda, the departure of Howes leaves Ricky Brabec, Tosha Schareina and Adrien Van Beveren as the core of the factory squad heading into Morocco.

How we are dealing with it at TimeOut Racing

Everything above is about the professional teams. For the Dakar Classic, where TimeOut Racing supports ten teams, the pressure is the same and the room for manoeuvre is smaller. Private teams do not have a race department to absorb sunk costs.

Our preparations are on schedule. Vehicles, crews, spare parts and logistics are where they should be for this point in the year. We are not going to pretend the uncertainty does not weigh on us, because it does, on our customers and on us. That is why we are seeking direct, personal conversations with the people responsible for the Dakar Classic this week. We want to understand how ASO sees the timeline, what the decision points are and what happens to entries, assistance fees and transport in the different scenarios. We will share what we learn as soon as we can.

Until then, our advice is unchanged: prepare as if the race takes place, and make sure your contracts and insurance have clear terms in case it does not.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Dakar 2027 cancelled?

No. As of 20 September 2026 there is no cancellation, postponement or relocation. ASO wrote to TimeOut Racing on 15 September that the rumours are unfounded and that a communication would follow shortly.

When does the Dakar 2027 preparation become final?

The technical and administrative scrutineering for Europe takes place on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona, after which the vehicles travel to Saudi Arabia by ship. Teams need clarity before then.

What has KTM said about the Dakar 2027?

KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer told SPEEDWEEK.com that the situation is unsettled, that KTM must stay prepared as long as the race is on the calendar, and that time is working against the teams.

Is Toyota still planning for the Dakar 2027?

On 17 September Toyota Gazoo Racing presented the race livery and partners of its hydrogen fuel cell DKR GR FC Hilux for the Dakar Future Mission 1000 in January 2027.

Have Ford or Honda commented?

Not publicly. Ford continues testing the Raptor T1+ for the 2027 regulations; Honda's news is Skyler Howes moving to ZX Moto, which is targeting the Dakar 2027.

What is TimeOut Racing doing?

Preparing on schedule and seeking personal conversations with Dakar Classic officials this week to understand the timeline and the scenarios for entries, fees and transport.