Ford secures first success of 2026 Dakar Rally

The leading contenders of the 2026 Dakar Rally were first into action during the prologue in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, and it was Mattias Ekström who emerged on top to give Ford an ideal start to the world’s toughest rally.

Ekström’s time was enough to secure fastest overall honours in the short opening test, placing the experienced Swede at the head of the timesheets and allowing him to choose a favourable starting position for the first full stage of the rally.

Ford’s strong showing was underlined by Mitch Guthrie, who completed a one-two finish for the American manufacturer. Guthrie ended the prologue just seconds behind his team-mate, confirming the competitiveness of the Ford Raptor package from the very first competitive kilometres.

Third place went to Guillaume de Mévius, who once again demonstrated his speed in the X-Raid Mini, keeping himself firmly in contention ahead of the long stages to come.

As is typical for a Dakar prologue, time gaps were minimal. The entire top ten was covered by around 20 seconds, highlighting how closely matched the front of the Ultimate class is this year. Among those inside that narrow margin were multiple Dakar winners and legends of the event, including Carlos Sainz and Nasser Al-Attiyah.

Nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb conceded 34 seconds, but such a deficit is of little consequence at this early stage of a two-week marathon that will be decided by endurance, navigation and consistency rather than outright sprint speed.

While prologue times do not count towards the overall classification, they play a crucial strategic role by determining the starting order for Stage 1. With the rally’s first full test looming, Ekström and Ford have laid down an early marker, but with thousands of kilometres of desert still ahead, the battle for Dakar glory is only just beginning.