ABOUT LUCIANO
Luciano Benavides is Stone: resilient, precise, and built to endure. Calm under pressure and measured in every move, the Argentinian absorbs the hardest impacts of rally-raid and keeps moving forward, building success through accuracy, persistence, and quiet strength.
That resilience was tested by a serious crash at the 2025 Rallye du Maroc, where Luciano injured his knee. With Dakar only months away, few believed he would recover in time. He sacrificed, pushed through an intense rehabilitation, and arrived at the 2026 Dakar still not walking properly, but he was ready to race.
What followed became one of the most dramatic stories in Dakar history. Over thousands of kilometers, Luciano combined speed, intelligent race management, and relentless belief to stay in the fight. Starting the final stage 3 minutes 20 seconds behind, he attacked to the last kilometer and seized his first Dakar victory by just two seconds - the closest finish the event has ever seen! From the crash in Morocco to the top step of the Dakar podium, Luciano proved exactly why he is Stone: unshaken, enduring, and strongest when the pressure is greatest.
The Dakar victory set the tone for Luciano’s 2026 rally-raid season. He carried that confidence into the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, returning to race in front of his home fans in Argentina and continuing to demonstrate the speed, control, and consistency of a rider established among the discipline’s elite. A new multi-year agreement with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing secured the next chapter of that journey. Looking ahead to 2027, Luciano arrives as the 2026 Dakar champion, determined to defend his position, fight for more victories, and keep pushing the limits of the KTM 450 RALLY.