The Catalan driver, with eight participations behind him, once again earns the finisher’s medal in the toughest motorsport event in the world.

A member of the BE Racing team, he achieves his long-awaited goal after two very demanding weeks of competition, in which managing the car’s mechanics proved decisive.

“Finishing the Dakar among the top 25 is an excellent result and, realistically, the best we could aim for with our Can-Am. We’re very happy.”

Mission accomplished: Joan Font and Adrià Guillem are now finishers of the 2026 Dakar Rally. After two weeks of maximum difficulty, the Can-Am Maverick X3 of the Catalan duo managed to cross the final finish line, and with a more than commendable sporting result as well: 24th in the Challenger category and 100th overall (scratch) — results they would undoubtedly have signed for before the race began. For Joan Font, this is the sixth time he has completed the toughest motorsport event on the planet, seventh if the 2025 edition is included, which he finished outside the official classification.

The outcome of the race took place this Saturday, January 17, during the thirteenth and final stage, consisting of a 105-kilometre timed loop around Yanbu. Joan Font and his co-driver Adrià Guillem wrapped up their participation with a strong 19th-place stage finish, losing only 9 minutes and 8 seconds to the winner. It was the third stage top-20 result achieved by the driver from Vic in this Dakar.

“These results have to be understood in context. At all times we gave our maximum, fully aware of the limitations of the car we had. It was key to take care of it and manage the mechanics with great precision to be able to reach the end. Finishing the Dakar among the top 25 is an excellent result and, realistically, the best we could aim for with our Can-Am. We’re very happy,” said Joan Font shortly after confirming his place on the Dakar 2026 finish podium.

Font came into this edition of the Dakar as BE Racing’s third driver, tasked with supporting and assisting in any way necessary the two drivers from the Saudi Next Gen program, Hamza Bakhashab and Abdullah Alshegawi. Unfortunately, neither made it to the end of the race: the former retired on stage 8 and the latter on stage 9. This situation forced the Catalan to rethink his strategy, focusing on avoiding mistakes and managing his pace to reach the finish in Yanbu with guarantees.

In a way, it was even an atypical Dakar Rally for Joan Font, compared with what had been usual for him. Accustomed to major feats and very long days, this edition was probably the calmest of all, with very few setbacks beyond some punctures and occasional stops to help teammates in trouble. That said, in his view it was still a very demanding edition: “It was a genuine Dakar, very tough, as it should be. We worked a lot and the final result reflects that effort. Reaching the Dakar finish is always special. It’s a dream that, fortunately, I’ve been able to fulfil on other occasions, but each edition is different and always has enormous value — especially when it comes with a good sporting result.”

Joan Font also highlighted the importance of being surrounded by good professionals and building a strong team to achieve objectives: “First of all, I’m very happy with the work done alongside Adrià. Our understanding has been very good from day one, and that’s crucial in a race like this. The support of the rest of the team was also fundamental to keep us strong throughout the rally. I’m very grateful to everyone who made this possible.” On the other hand, he also had a word for the two Saudi drivers with whom he shared the structure: “We were very sad not to be able to share the finish with them, but I’m convinced they’ll have new opportunities in the future.”

This was Joan Font’s eighth Dakar: he competed in two editions in South America (2017 and 2019), and this is his sixth in Saudi Arabia (he has taken part every year since 2020, except 2022). Although it is still early to anticipate future plans, the driver is clear: “We close this edition with very good feelings… and already thinking about the next one.”

Soource : Joan  Font Press