Luciano Benavides will be in the blue-and-orange of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing through the 2028 season. Following an interview with the reigning Dakar Rally bike winner and his brother Kevin, Campeones confirmed Benavides’ contract runs for another two years and includes an option for 2029 if he wishes to stay.

In May, Benavides signed what was simply stated by KTM team manager Andreas Hölzl as a “multi-year agreement” without further elaboration. The extension came days before the Desafío Ruta 40 in his native Argentina, where he won the Prologue before finishing fourth in RallyGP. His teammate and defending champion Daniel Sanders currently leads the standings while Benavides is eight points back in third.

Benavides began the season by winning the Dakar Rally for the first time, taking the motorcycle victory on the final day. It was a dream start for the family as Kevin, a two-time bike winner, scored his maiden stage win as a Challenger driver on the same day that Luciano was the fastest rider.

He joined KTM at the end of 2024. Despite winning the 2023 W2RC with Husqvarna, then-parent company Pierer folded it and GasGas’ rally programs into KTM’s as part of a restructuring process that also moved Sanders into the family.

“I hope that I can defend the title next year,” Benavides told Buen día Campeones. “It’s something I want to go for, not just try to do it but do it: conquer the Dakar again and have two to equal Kevin and doing it consecutively would be a dream.”

Featured image credit: Kin Marcin / Red Bull Content Pool