Although he had a strong run as a rider for Honda Racing Corporation, winning Rally2 at the Desafío Ruta 40 and finishing third at the Dakar Rally in January, Romain Dumonter is a free agent for 2026. In an interview with Moto-Station.com, Dumontier explained he was dropped by HRC after Dakar and is currently seeking a new ride.

The 2023 Dakar and World Rally-Raid Champion in Rally2, Dumontier switched from Husqvarna to Honda starting with 2024 Desafío Ruta 40. He won three stages en route to the overall victory, taking the Rally2 points lead in the process. Dumontier finished the seventh at the season finale, missing out on a second straight Rally2 title to Bradley Cox by just six points.

He signed with Honda Racing Corporation for the 2025 season in December, allowing him to race the new Honda CRF450. Although this granted him factory-level access to resources, he technically remained a satellite rider and was not part of Monster Energy HRC. Dumontier did not win any stages at Dakar, but he notched four stage podiums with a best run of second in Stage 4 en route to a third overall.

Despite his solid performance and impressive portfolio, HRC released him afterward. Honda Racing Brasil soon signed him to compete in the Campeonato Brasileiro de Rally Cross Country, though they are only a regional subsidiary whose operations do not extend to Dakar or the W2RC. Mason Klein, who won the Rally2 title the year before Dumontier, had a similar arrangement in 2024 where he raced for Honda Brasil in South America but for Kove Moto at Dakar.

Due to his departure, Dumontier has not run any other W2RC races since Dakar.

Such is the life as a privateer. While he intends to register for the 2026 Dakar Rally, he’ll still be looking to see if any team would want his services by the time the race starts in January.

Featured image credit: Charly Lopez / ASO