Dakar 2026: Toby Price Ends KTM's Drought

Toby Price has delivered KTM their first Dakar Rally victory since 2019, ending a five-year drought that had become increasingly concerning for the Austrian manufacturer. The Australian controlled the final 61km special from Shubaytah to Riyadh to claim his third career Dakar title, finishing 4'23" ahead of Kevin Benavides with Ricky Brabec third at 8'51".

Price's victory was earned through consistency rather than outright stage-winning speed. He won just one individual stage but finished in the top five on ten of twelve specials, accumulating an advantage that no rival could overcome. His navigation was flawless when it mattered, avoiding the costly errors that have ended previous championship bids.

"This one means more than the others," an emotional Price said at the finish podium. "We've worked so hard, the whole team, to get KTM back to the top. The last few years weren't easy for anyone. To deliver this for them, for all the people who believed when results weren't coming—this is why we race."

Brabec's podium finish maintains Honda's competitiveness despite losing the title. The defending champion's strategy of attacking from behind proved insufficient against Price's error-free campaign, though his three stage victories demonstrated that speed is not what KTM has over Honda. The 2027 battle lines are already being drawn.