A month after the Dakar Rally, the Rally Raid World Championship (W2RC) is set to begin its second chapter with the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. While there may not be any Spanish drivers with a strong chance of winning in the cars category, there are several Spanish competitors who could achieve success in other categories.
In the motorcycles category, two Spanish riders, Tosha Schareina and Edgar Canet, are looking to make a strong impression. Schareina, who finished second in the Dakar 2025, is aiming for the world title this season. “This is my first time in Abu Dhabi, and it’s also the first time I’m doing the full World Cup, so we can fight for it,” he says. Despite still recovering from a clavicle fracture, Schareina is feeling optimistic about his chances. “We didn’t know I had it broken during the race, there was discomfort and pain. It was a tough second week, but we are already recovered. I have stopped to recover well more than train.”
On the other hand, Edgar Canet, who had a remarkable performance in the Dakar, finishing in the top 10 and winning the Rally 2 category, has been training continuously since the Dakar to maintain his momentum. Canet is registered in the Rally 2 category in Abu Dhabi and is looking to continue his progression.
World Cup Classification
The current W2RC 2025 standings have Daniel Sanders (KTM) in the lead with 38 points, followed by Tosha Schareina (Honda) with 30 points, Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) with 24 points, Luciano Benavides (KTM) with 20 points, and Ricky Brabec (Honda) with 17 points.
Cars Category
The cars category is expected to be highly competitive, with Nasser al-Attiyah and Sébastien Loeb, both driving for Dacia, looking to close the gap with the current leader, Yazeed al-Rajhi. Al-Rajhi has a 22-point advantage over al-Attiyah, but the Qatari driver is determined to tighten the gap. Mattias Ekström, driving for Ford, is also a strong contender for the world title and will be accompanied by American driver Mitch Guthrie.
World Cup Classification in Cars
The current W2RC 2025 standings in the cars category have Yazeed al-Rajhi (Toyota) in the lead with 70 points, followed by Henk Lategan (Toyota) with 55 points, Nasser al-Attiyah (Dacia) with 48 points, Mattias Ekström (Ford) with 44 points, and Mitch Guthrie (Ford) with 28 points.
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will feature a renewed rally format, with a 14-kilometer prologue and five stages, covering a total of 1,200 kilometers against the clock. This year’s edition will also include a marathon stage with 300 kilometers, the longest in the race. The rally is set to start tomorrow, and all eyes will be on the top competitors as they battle it out for the top spot.