Monster Energy Honda HRC Announces 2026 Lineup Ahead of a New World Rally-Raid Championship Season
With the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) fast approaching, Monster Energy Honda HRC is ready to launch into another year of competition at the highest level. The season will kick off with the world’s most iconic rally — the Dakar Rally — setting the tone for an intense calendar across some of the toughest terrains on the planet.
Confirmed 2026 W2RC Calendar
The new championship will span five legendary events:
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Dakar Rally
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BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal
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Desafío Ruta 40 (Argentina)
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Rallye du Maroc
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Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
Each race will test riders and machines with unique challenges ranging from towering dunes to rugged technical tracks.
A Strong and United Structure
The Monster Energy Honda HRC team continues with a familiar and highly competitive lineup for 2026. Stability and teamwork remain at the core of the program, with four world-class riders leading the charge:
Ricky Brabec, Tosha Schareina, Adrien Van Beveren and Skyler Howes.
Riders Ready for Another Global Challenge
Ricky Brabec
Multiple Dakar champion and one of the most recognizable figures in rally-raid, Brabec returns with the same hunger and determination that have defined his career.
Tosha Schareina
After a standout season with victories in Sertões, and the Rallye du Maroc, the Spaniard enters 2026 as one of the top contenders in the world rally-raid scene.
Adrien Van Beveren
A sand specialist and one of the most technically skilled riders in the sport, AVB brings consistency, speed, and elite-level navigation — making him a constant threat for overall wins.
Skyler Howes
Fully recovered and coming off a season that showed glimpses of his true potential, Howes is ready to return to the front with his unique blend of speed, strategy, and desert instinct.
The CRF450 RALLY: Engineering Excellence
Honda’s CRF450 RALLY, a cornerstone of the team’s success, continues its evolution with refinements aimed at maximizing performance and reliability across every type of terrain. From the harsh dunes of Saudi Arabia to the rocky tracks of Morocco and the technical specials of Portugal and Argentina, the machine is ready for another year of world-class competition.
A Partnership Forged in Ambition: Monster Energy x Honda HRC
Since 2017, Monster Energy has been the team’s principal sponsor, sharing a passion for performance, innovation, and relentless pursuit of victory. Together, they’ve built one of the most successful alliances in the championship’s modern era.
A New Season Begins
With a strong lineup, an evolving machine, and a united team, Monster Energy Honda HRC is fully prepared to take on the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship.
The challenge awaits — and the pursuit of glory continues.
Ruben Faria
We are very close to the Dakar, and we are all eager to tackle the most important race of the year. We finished on a high note in Morocco with Tosha's victory, and that gives us a lot of motivation. The riders are training physically and mentally for a very tough Dakar. We start in Yanbu and finish 13 days later in Yanbu. This year we are not going to the Empty Quarter, but it will still be a tough race because there are many kilometers and anything can happen. We are making the final preparations and looking forward to a new Dakar with great enthusiasm.
Ricky Brabec 9
The next season means a lot, we have worked really hard this year going in the right direction after the Dakar. The beginning of the year I struggled a lot to find comfort and every race we made correct improvements to be better for the 2026 season.
I'm excited to head to my 11th Dakar with HRC and I hope to do the job well enough to make it a victory for HRC and the team. Every rider is healthy and the team is looking strong for the start of the 2026 season.
For me personally I feel like this year I have learned a lot about man and machine specially rushing an injury in the Morocco rally in 2024 that held me back in the Dakar 2025. I had lost a ton of training time and preparation for this one just trying to recovery well enough to get cleared in able to race. This season we remained healthy and are looking better then ever for the next season and I'm happy to spend it with Monster energy Honda HRC . They don't give up and neither do we.
Skyler Howes 10
I think this year’s Dakar is going to be really exciting. We’re not going to the Empty Quarter, which means we’ll face new kinds of challenges in the other regions — and the terrain variety looks great. It’s going to be a tough race, just like every year, but after all the hard work we’ve done as a team, I’m really looking forward to it.
The rest of the season also looks promising. Portugal can be tricky with the weather, but it’s always fun, and going back to Argentina is something I’m really excited about — the fans there, and in Europe too, are incredible and bring a lot of energy. Hopefully this year we get a bit more desert riding and fewer slippery tracks.
Morocco, now under new management, could go either way: more challenging or similar to previous editions, but it’s always one of the best races. And finishing the season in the dunes of Abu Dhabi is going to be a great way to close the year. Overall, I think 2026 will be an amazing season. The training never stops, the teamwork never stops, and we’ll be pushing hard all year long.
Adrien Van Beveren 42
I’m feeling really good right now. After a lot of training this year and the heavy crash in Portugal, I feel more than ready to take on the Dakar. I’m in the best moment of my career, and I need to make the most of it in 2026. Every year I feel more comfortable with this race, and I know exactly which cards I need to play. I’m going in calm, but extremely motivated. I’m super happy with the team and grateful to be living the dream I’ve had since I was a kid.
Tosha Schareina 68
I am very motivated to tackle the 2026 season.
We all know that the Dakar is the main race, and the whole team has worked hard to be as well prepared as possible.
Winning in Morocco has given us that extra boost to stay motivated.
For 2026, the order and the races have changed a bit, with the second round of the world championship being held at home in Portugal/Spain. I think this is a very good change, as it gives us a break from the desert after the Dakar and a complete change of terrain.
Route 40 is also back in Argentina, which motivates us all because of the warmth we all feel there.
In short, we are ready to give our all and fight for the top spot.
