The Dakar Rally 2026 is once again taking place in Saudi Arabia from 3–17 January 2026, with the Dakar Classic category drawing particular attention. The Time Rally format, which prioritises navigation accuracy, consistency, and vehicle endurance over outright speed, has seen Indonesia return to the world’s toughest rally through Julian Johan and Shammie Zacky Baridwan—both currently holding positions inside the top 10 overall.
Dakar remains the ultimate off-road endurance challenge, combining extreme terrain with long competitive distances that test both machinery and human resilience. For the 2026 edition, competitors face a total route of approximately 8,000 kilometres, starting from Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, heading inland to Riyadh, before looping back to Yanbu. Across the Saudi Arabian desert, crews must negotiate soft dunes, rocky tracks, and fast open sections with minimal visual references.
In terms of format, Dakar 2026 is divided into two major disciplines. Rally Raid covers motorcycles, cars, Challenger (T3), SSV (T4), and trucks. Alongside it, Dakar Classic follows a Time Rally concept, where penalties and time accuracy are decisive factors. Strategy, navigation discipline, and mechanical sympathy therefore play a far greater role than raw pace, particularly as fatigue accumulates in the latter half of the rally.
Indonesia’s presence in Dakar Classic marks a significant milestone after a long absence. Julian Johan, widely known as Jejelogy, is competing with French navigator Mathieu Monplaisi in a Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ 100 bearing car number #773. Meanwhile, Shammie Zacky Baridwan is partnered with Lithuanian navigator Ignas Daunoravicius, driving a Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ 78 with number #766. Both crews represent Compagnie Saharienne and have shown strong consistency under demanding conditions.
After 10 stages completed as of Thursday (15 January 2026), Julian Johan has emerged as the leading Indonesian contender, running sixth overall in the Dakar Classic standings. His rally began with fluctuating results in the early stages, but steady performances from Stage 8 through Stage 10 have allowed him to climb and consolidate his position. Shammie Zacky Baridwan follows closely in eighth place, ensuring Indonesia retains two entries within the top tier of the Classic category.
With three stages remaining, the challenge is far from over. Stage 11 features an especially long route of 882 kilometres, followed by Stage 12 at 718 kilometres, before the rally concludes with Stage 13, a shorter final run back to Yanbu. At this stage of the event, physical fatigue, navigational precision, and the durability of classic vehicles are expected to have a decisive influence on the final classification.
Dakar Classic 2026 – Provisional Top 20 Standings
(Simplified table format for optimal mobile viewing)
| Pos | No | Driver (Country) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 703 | Karolis Raisys (LTU) | 553 |
| 2 | 731 | Josef Unterholzner (ITA) | 812 |
| 3 | 710 | Ondrej Klymciw (CZE) | 832 |
| 4 | 705 | Marco Ernesto Leva (ITA) | 1049 |
| 5 | 708 | Jorg Sand (GER) | 1069 |
| 6 | 773 | Julian Johan (INA) | 1097 |
| 7 | 780 | Mariusz Pietrzycki (POL) | 1117 |
| 8 | 766 | Shammie Baridwan (INA) | 1224 |
| 9 | 727 | Peter Brabeck-Letmathe (AUT) | 1270 |
| 10 | 723 | Francesco Pece (ITA) | 1296 |
| 11 | 902 | Tomasz Bialkowski (POL) | 1399 |
| 12 | 741 | Daniel Vetter (SUI) | 1516 |
| 13 | 726 | Taz Harvey (USA) | 1523 |
| 14 | 721 | Gian Paolo Cavagna (ITA) | 1860 |
| 15 | 712 | Rafael Lesmes (ESP) | 2245 |
| 16 | 729 | David Bensadoun (CAN) | 2246 |
| 17 | 724 | Renato Rickler Del Mare (ITA) | 2275 |
| 18 | 753 | Giuliano Bergo (ITA) | 2668 |
| 19 | 775 | Davide Facchini (ITA) | 2683 |
| 20 | 709 | Paolo Bedeschi (ITA) | 2801 |
For a complete list of drivers competing in the Dakar Classic category, visit:
https://sportrik.com/dakar/drivers?kategori=dakar-classic
Full stage routes and the official Dakar 2026 calendar are available at:
https://sportrik.com/dakar/calendar
As Dakar 2026 enters its decisive phase, the performances of Julian Johan and Shammie Zacky Baridwan underline Indonesia’s growing presence in international cross-country rallying. In Dakar Classic, success is defined by consistency and discipline—and with the final kilometres approaching, both Indonesian crews remain firmly in the fight.
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