Our great adventure begins: ready for the Rally Dakar 2026

At Santana Motors, we have always believed that the rebirth of a brand like ours had to be closely linked to competition. Motorsport is where technology, reliability and character are truly tested. That is why, just a few weeks after officially presenting our project in Linares, we are taking a decisive step by lining up at the start of the Rally Dakar 2026, the toughest off-road race in the world.

We will make our debut with the Santana Pick-Up T1+ in the top T1+ category, alongside two figures who perfectly embody our spirit: adventurer and driver Jesús Calleja, and our CEO, Edu Blanco, who will compete together as part of the Santana Racing Team.

Our first Dakar, a complete challenge

For our first competitive adventure, we have partnered with Century Racing as our technical partner, one of the leading names in international rally raid. We are also supported by the Junta de Castilla y León and Bion3, key allies in driving this sporting project forward.

Our competition prototype is based on the proven Century CR7, a 4x4 vehicle in the T1+ Ultimate category, which showed its potential last year with two stage podium finishes achieved by Mathieu Serradori and Brian Baragwanath.

The vehicle features a high-strength multitubular chassis and a carbon-fibre body designed to meet the strict demands of the category. Power comes from a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine delivering 430 hp and 660 Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed SADEV sequential gearbox and competition-grade differentials.

In its transformation into the Santana Pick-Up T1+, the car adopts a fully Santana look. The front end, with the signature lighting of our pick-up 400, creates a direct visual link between racing and the production model already available in our Spanish dealer network. The bodywork has been adapted to enhance its pick-up silhouette and to stand out visually among other teams.

Integrated within Century Racing’s structure, we will also benefit from their rapid assistance service, including a race truck ready to support customer teams throughout the rally.

Friendship and determination

Jesús Calleja will be taking part in his sixth Dakar, a rally that has defined much of his career since his debut in 2011. Edu Blanco brings experience from 17 Dakar participations, and this will be the third time they share the cockpit together.

“January means Dakar to me,” says Calleja. “Coming back with Santana is especially exciting. We have a strong car, a great team and the chance to share this adventure once again with my friend Edu.”

Blanco adds: “Santana is back not only as an automotive brand, but also as a racing team with a clear international ambition. Dakar is the toughest challenge there is, and we want to make our mark.”

An extreme Dakar 2026

The 2026 Dakar will start and finish in Yanbu, on the shores of the Red Sea, after nearly 8,000 kilometres of competition. With two marathon stages and a rest day in Riad, this edition promises to be one of the most demanding in recent years.

Our goal is clear: to arrive well prepared, to learn, to prove our reliability and to put the Santana name back on the international motorsport map. Dakar is unpredictable, but our determination and enthusiasm for this great adventure have never been stronger.

Our presence in Saudi Arabia goes beyond the race car itself. We have also deployed two production vehicles, the Santana 400 D and Santana 400 PHEV, which will serve as support vehicles, transporting staff, equipment and media material from stage to stage. For us, the Dakar is also a real-world laboratory, pushing our production models to the limit in some of the harshest conditions on the planet.