Five years after his last Dakar Rally, Neil Hawker will make his return in 2026. It will be his third Dakar, once again competing solo in Original by Motul.

He posted on his Patreon Friday after receiving his acceptance letter from the ASO:

I’m incredibly proud to say my entry for the 2026 Dakar Rally has been officially accepted.

This means I’ll be heading back to the desert to take on the toughest race on the planet—unsupported, in the Originals by Motul (Malle Moto) class. Just me, my bike, my tools, and everything I’ve learned since 2021.

This isn’t just my adventure. It’s ours. Every single one of you supporting me here is helping make this happen—through your belief, your encouragement, and your generosity.

I’ll be sharing more soon about the road ahead: training, racing, late nights in the garage, and everything that comes with chasing a dream like this while juggling work, family, and a whole lot of logistics. But for now, I just want to say:

Thank you. I’m back in. Let’s do this.

He made his Dakar debut in 2020, but retired after crashing five stages in and breaking his arm. His second attempt in 2021 went far smoother as he reached the finish, placing 37th overall.

He’ll be joined at Dakar by his friends Craig and Carl Searles, whose family company Liquitech sponsored his 2020 Dakar effort. Unlike Hawker, the Searles brothers will be making their Dakar debuts.

Featured image credit: Antonin Vincent / DPPI / ASO