After last racing in 2007, former champion Bruno Saby will return to the Dakar Rally in 2026. He will pilot a Taurus Evo Max under the banner of Team Milano Racing with Benjamin Boulloud as navigator.

Saby was one of rally raid’s top drivers in the 1990s and 2000s, winning the 1993 Paris–Dakar Rally as a factory driver for Mitsubishi and the 2005 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies with Volkswagen. Other race victories included the Atlas Rally and its successor Rallye du Maroc, the Tunisia Rally, and Rallye d’Orient.

His final Dakar came in a Fiat PanDAKAR in 2007, where he was forced to retire. It was also the last Dakar to follow the Europe-to-Senegal route.

Before committing to rally raids, he starred in rallying as a three-time French national champion (including two on gravel). Saby also raced in the World Rally Championship from the inaugural season in 1973 until 1991; he won two races, including the Rallye Monte-Carlo in 1988 as part of Lancia’s factory program.

Although now in his seventies, Saby continues to race predominantly in historic rallies. He contested the Tour de Corse Historique in October with a Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16V Group A car, similar to what he raced in WRC in the ’80s, but pulled out due to a health issue.

Milano Racing, who prepared his Lancia for the TDCH, will also field his Taurus at Dakar in partnership with Rebellion Spierings. The Taurus Evo Max is the successor to the Dakar-winning Taurus T3 Max.

Boulloud, a former French tarmac champion co-driver, will be entering his second Dakar. He called the shots for Romain Locmane in January’s race, finishing seventh in Challenger.

Featured image credit: Team Milano Racing