Joan Font is a Dakar Rally veteran who’s been competing since 2017 and is set for his eighth start in 2026. On the opposite end of the experience spectrum at BE Racing are 21-year-old Hamza Bakhashab and 27-year-old Abdullah Al-Shegawi, local drivers set for their debuts.

Al-Shegawi and Bakhashab, along with their respective navigators Raed Al-Assaf and Fahad Al-Omar, are part of Saudi Next Gen. It is a program put together by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation to encourage the future generation of Saudi drivers, and they earned their places at Dakar after competing at the Al-Qassim Rally in 2024. This January, the four did the first two stages of the 2025 Dakar with mentorship from Yasir Seaidan and eventual winner Yazeed Al-Rajhi.

While Font will be racing as usual, his main goal for the race is to help the Saudi Next Gen participants in their first taste of actual Dakar competition.

“It’s a very exciting challenge,” said Font. “For projects of this magnitude to trust me with this task is a recognition of the work I’ve done over the last few years.

“Our goal will be to provie full support to these two drivers. There will be team orders, like every year, that we will accept naturally because that’s ultimately what we’re here for. From there, we’ll organize each stage day by day, and the three of us will try to have a good race.”

All three crews will race Can-Am Mavericks, though Font is in Challenger whereas Al-Shegawi and Bakhashab are in SSV. Font finished 33rd in class at the 2025 edition after retiring mid-race with a mechanical issue.

After having Sergi Brugue as his navigator in 2025, Adrià Guillem will be by Font’s side for 2026.

“For drivers like me, it’s not easy to get here,” Font continued. “In that sense, I must thank all the people who have supported me and made things easier for me over these years so that I could continue competing. I’ve been through all kinds of situations, and each one has made me stronger and taught me a great deal. I believe that after seven editions, and about to start the eighth, I can now say that it’s a race that I’m really beginning to understand and feel.”

Featured image credit: Mediagé Comunicación