Making their Dakar Rally debuts in January was a long and challenging journey for Carl Searles and his younger brother Craig, but one that was well worth it. Just to make it was such a major investment that they will not return to Dakar in 2027, but are open to doing so the year after.

“We’ve kinda stepped back this year to take it all in,” the brothers explained on Tuesday. “Three years of racing around the world and getting to all the events we could in the UK has been unreal, but it takes commitment, a lot of time and even more money.

“We’d like to thank our sponsors, family, friends and everyone else for the support, the journey through to completing Dakar 2026 has been an unbelievable experience for us!”

The Searles had applied for the 2025 Dakar, but were turned down due to insufficient desert rally experience. They fulfilled this by completing the 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, with Craig finishing 23rd in Rally2 and Carl right behind, to earn their ticket to the 2026 race.

S2D Race Team, as they renamed prior to the race to comply with new ASO policy, began the 2026 Dakar with some stumbles in the form of technical issues and navigation faults. Still, as they did in Abu Dhabi, they stuck together and Carl led the way.

They continued to get lost at times, including going through a gully in Stage 5, but their bikes held up the rest of the way. By the end, Craig was 61st in Rally2 with Carl in 62nd. They are the 16th set of siblings to complete the Dakar Rally and the 13th to do so in the same race, the 38th and 39th British riders to finish, and the first British siblings to achieve the feat.

Only four pairs of siblings have finished a Dakar together. Naturally, they hope to be the fifth come 2028.

“We’d like to go back and be on the start line for Dakar 2028,” said the brothers. “We obviously have to get sorted, make a plan and get the ball rolling.”

Featured image credit: Jennifer Lindini / ASO