Denis Krotov will trade in his Mini for a Ford Raptor in 2026, driving for M-Sport at the Dakar Rally. Konstantin Zhiltsov returns as his navigator.

Krotov has spent much of his rally raid career with X-raid, starting off in their BMW before driving their Mini. He also had a brief stint in a Toyota Hilux Overdrive in 2023, but otherwise stayed loyal to the German outfit.

He finished 11th in the 2025 FIA European Baja Cup with an overall victory at the Hungarian Baja. It was the second win for the petrol-based Mini John Cooper Works Rally 3.0i after Krotov won the 2024 Qatar International Baja.

His World Rally-Raid Championship campaign was plagued by mechanical issues. He typically ran in the top 15 throughout the Dakar Rally but had to settle for 45th in class due to vehicle problems. Krotov then placed 15th in Ultimate (second to last among finishers) at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and 26th in South Africa before retiring from the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. He ended the season 32nd in points.

2026 will be Krotov’s eighth Dakar. His best run was 11th in 2024.

M-Sport primarily fields Raptors for Mattias Ekström, Mitch Guthrie, Nani Roma, and Carlos Sainz. For Dakar, they and Krotov will also be joined by Romain Dumas, Martin Prokop, and Jourdan Serderidis; Serderidis and Prokop are privateers.

Featured image credit: X-raid