Monster Energy Honda HRC heads to Argentina this week aiming to continue its strong record at the Desafío Ruta 40, with a star-studded rider line-up chasing victory in round three of the 2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship.
Returning to the W2RC calendar for 2026, the six-day event features a prologue and five demanding stages covering 2,993km through the Cuyo region around San Juan. Riders will face everything from salt flats and sweeping sandscapes to rocky mountain terrain, with conditions capable of dramatically shaking up the standings.
Honda arrives with proven firepower. Defending Desafío Ruta 40 champion Ricky Brabec returns, looking to add another Argentine trophy after recently re-signing with the team. The 2026 Dakar Rally runner-up, who also finished second at Ruta 40 in 2023, is chasing his first victory of the season and said he was motivated despite a challenging start to the year.
Reflecting on the aftermath of Dakar, Brabec admitted it had been “a difficult year mentally”, adding, “It’s the one we all will remember forever,” but after taking time to reset and re-signing with Honda, he was ready to push again. “We’ve had some good results here in the past and I’m hoping we can ride well enough to go home happy after this year’s Desafío Ruta 40,” he said.
Adrien Van Beveren also returns to familiar territory after extending his Honda contract, with the Frenchman carrying momentum from a podium finish at the previous round in Portugal. A long-time fan of Argentina after years competing in Dakar and Enduro del Verano, Van Beveren said he loved the country, its people and motorsport culture.
“I really enjoy being here and to be back with the team,” Van Beveren said, explaining that returning to the podium in Portugal after a difficult Dakar had renewed confidence. “I can’t wait to continue in this spirit, developing the bike with the team and putting it all together to be on top of the classification.”
For Tosha Schareina, Argentina holds special memories after he dominated the event on debut in 2023 before narrowly missing victory in 2024, finishing runner-up to Brabec by just 15 seconds. Sitting just four points off the championship lead, the Spaniard arrives highly motivated.
“This race is always special,” Schareina said. “Running in Argentina in front of such a huge crowd is incredible. I managed to win on my first attempt at the Desafío Ruta 40 and then came second as well.”
Meanwhile, Skyler Howes returns for only his second Ruta 40 appearance after narrowly missing the podium in 2024 with fourth place. The American said this year’s more desert-focused terrain around San Juan reminded him of the south-western United States and would provide a more traditional rally challenge.
“The route looks like it’ll have more sand and be tricky,” Howes said. “One day is 455km long, which is a proper Dakar-style day, which is going to be great.”
Monster Energy Honda HRC general manager Ruben Faria believes the team is well placed to fight for victory, highlighting the rally’s mix of stones, sand, dunes and WRC-style tracks as a major challenge.
“We are confident we can win this race,” Faria said, noting Schareina sits second in the championship, five points behind the leader, while Brabec, Van Beveren and Howes are currently fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
Following administrative and scrutineering checks, the rally begins with a short but important 9.6km prologue around San Juan, which will determine starting positions for stage one.
