With the Desafío Ruta 40 returning to the World Rally-Raid Championship in May, so will its title sponsor. Argentine oil and gas company YPF has once again acquired the naming rights to the race, officially dubbing it the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF.

A statement from race organizers reads:

YPF is once again joining Desafío Ruta 40 as one of the main sponsors of this prestigious rally raid competition. For this edition, the company is also becoming the title sponsor of the event, which will from now on be officially renamed Desafío Ruta 40 YPF.

The 13th edition of the competition will take place from May 24 to 29, with a route linking San Juan – San Rafael – San Juan, and will count towards the third round of World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC), establishing itself as the most important motorsport event on the international season to visit Argentina.

YPF has a history that goes back over 100 years and maintains a long-standing connection with motor racing and motorsport. Its involvement as the title sponsor of Desafío Ruta 40 YPF reinforces this legacy and supports a competition with a global reach, a strong national identity and a route that passes through some of the most iconic regions of the country.

In this context, YPF will also have an active presence throughout the race via its extensive network of service stations, which will play a strategic role in logistics during the competition.

Mainly operated by the Argentinian government, YPF is the first state-owned oil company outside of the Soviet Union; the federal government holds a 51% stake while the rest is shared by the provinces. It is one of the largest companies in its field.

YPF has been involved with every DR 40 since its revival in 2023 after a four-year dormancy. The 2023 race was called the “Desafío Ruta 40 YPF”, while the company suffixed its Infinia line of premium fuel to the moniker in 2024 to name it the “Desafío Ruta 40 YPF INFINIA”.

The race was removed from the calendar in 2025 as part of a planned rotation with the South African Safari Rally. For 2026, it is the third round of the W2RC season.

Featured image credit: Edoardo Bauer / Edophoto / DPPI / ASO