The Dakar Rally will apparently take place from January 3, 2026, in Saudi Arabia with prominent Austrian participants. According to the “Kleine Zeitung” on Tuesday, Red Bull billionaire Mark Mateschitz will pilot a Toyota in the top T1 class under the pseudonym “Mark Mustermann.”

His partner Victoria Swarovski will compete in the Challenger class, while Tyrolean motorcyclist Tobias Ebster will participate for the third time.

The official start lists include a Mark Mustermann from Austria, though no photo is available on the driver profile. His co-driver in the 400-horsepower Toyota Hilux is a man named Michael Zajc.

Swarovski competes under the name “Vic Flip,” with German Stefan Henken as her co-driver in a Can-Am Maverick R buggy with around 240 horsepower. Red Bull has not yet confirmed these details.

The prominent duo reportedly prepared professionally for the desert adventure, participating in long-distance off-road rallies largely unnoticed by cameras for two years. Their last test was the Rally du Maroc in October.

The rally lasts two weeks and covers over 8,000 kilometers and 13 stages from Yanbu on the Red Sea to Riyadh and back.

Mateschitz will face high-profile drivers such as Carlos Sainz senior and Sébastien Loeb in the T1 class.

A major challenge awaits Ebster, who will compete for the first time as a factory rider after two attempts as a privateer. In 2025, he was ninth overall in motorcycles and second in the Rally2 class.

Ebster will start with number 96 for the Indian team Hero Motosports Team Rally and aims to compete with the best in rally raid and deliver strong results.

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