DAKAR RALLY
Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, January 3-17
Yanbu on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast is the start and finish of a huge loop that will take in AlUla, Riyadh and, well, a lot of dunes. New for 2026 is the Bivouac Refuge stage, where drivers will spend the night with minimal desert cover – a tent, a mattress and a sleeping bag. Sweet dreams!
10th WINTER ROMANIA HISTORIC RALLY
Transylvania, Romania, January 15-17
If you don’t mind vampires, this event for pre-1999 cars takes in some stunning scenery in Transylvania’s Carpathians, loosely orbiting Covasna. Think: early ’90s Toyota Celicas and spotlight-bedecked BMW E30s kicking up clouds of snow.
CIRCUIT RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP – BRANDS HATCH WINTER STAGES
Brands Hatch, Kent, January 17
After Oulton, Cadwell and Donington Parks, CRC 2025-26 round…