Hero MotoSports Team Rally is set for its 10th consecutive outing at the world’s toughest rally, revealing a strong rider line-up for the 2026 Dakar Rally as the team heads back to Saudi Arabia from January 3 to 17.

With valuable lessons learned from a challenging 2025 season, the motorsport arm of Hero MotoCorp aims to translate experience into results across both Rally GP and Rally2 categories.

Leading the charge in Rally GP will be Ross Branch of Botswana and Chilean ace Nacho Cornejo, while Austria’s rising star Tobias Ebster will compete in Rally2 after an impressive debut season with the team.

For Ross Branch, this will be his fourth Dakar with Hero MotoSports. Known as the ‘Kalahari Ferrari’, the Botswanan rider was running inside the top three during the first half of Dakar 2025 before a crash ended his podium challenge. The 39-year-old’s best Dakar performance came in 2024 when he claimed second overall, delivering a historic podium for Hero as the first-ever Dakar podium for an Indian manufacturer. “I’m stronger, sharper and more determined than ever,” Branch said. “I want to convert my pace into a big finish this January.”

Nacho Cornejo returns for his second Dakar with Hero MotoSports, bringing consistency and experience as he targets a breakthrough result in Rally GP.

Second to lead the Rally GP charge, Nacho Cornejo heads into his second Dakar with Hero MotoSports after a solid 2025 season. With nine stage wins to his name and a career-best fourth overall in 2020, the 28-year-old finished seventh last year, securing the team’s second-best Dakar result. “I had an outstanding 2025 season and I’m looking forward to building on that momentum,” he said. “The synergy with the team is growing and I feel ready for a major breakthrough.”

Joining the team in Rally2, Tobias Ebster makes his first Dakar appearance as a full factory rider. The young Austrian won the “Original by Motul” category on his Dakar debut in 2024 and finished 20th overall, claiming Best Rookie honours. He climbed to ninth overall in 2025 as the top privateer and wrapped up the FIM Rally-Raid World Cup for Rally2 riders as runner-up. “My debut year with Hero at this level was incredible,” Ebster said. “I’m excited to step up in Rally2 this year and push for top honours with the team.”

Tobias Ebster steps up to his first Dakar as a full factory rider with Hero MotoSports in Rally2, aiming to build on his impressive rookie results and push for top honours.

Team Manager Wolfgang Fischer said preparations are in full swing. “All race bikes, spares, assistance vehicles and equipment have been tested and shipped from Barcelona and will arrive in Yanbu on December 30. The riders are in the final phase of training with navigation drills and race simulations underway,” he said. “After overcoming challenges in 2025 and achieving strong development progress on the Hero 450 Rally, we’re excited to see Ross and Nacho attack Rally GP once again and to watch Tobias step up in Rally2. With a fantastic crew behind us and the support of the global Hero family, we’re ready to take on the desert, test our limits, and chase new milestones. The adventure begins soon.”

The 48th Dakar Rally will see competitors tackle 13 special stages across Saudi Arabia, including two marathon stages where riders will camp in the desert with limited support. The opening round will also kick off the 2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), followed by BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal in March, Desafío Ruta 40 in Argentina in May, Rallye Du Maroc in September-October, and, for the first time, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in November.