In the vastness of the Saudi Arabian desert, the Dakar Rally has a way of stripping everything back to what truly matters.
-- For Aliyyah Koloc, the 2026 Dakar, which starts on January 3, will be about more than endurance and speed, it will also be about family.
Pre-event testing with a new navigator
In early December, Buggyra ZM Racing carried out intensive testing in the deserts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a challenging test environment for both the cars and the crew ahead of the 2026 Dakar. “This full week of testing in the desert was crucial for the team to prepare. We tested several new features, and I feel prepared,” Aliyyah said.
This year’s preparation comes with added complexity. Only weeks before Dakar, Aliyyah began working with a new navigator, Polish co-driver Marcin Pasek. The 29-year-old has already competed in several cross-country and traditional rallies, with the 2026 Dakar set to be his third participation.
“Changing navigators just weeks before the Dakar isn’t ideal. So our pre-event testing was crucial and went really well,” Aliyyah explained. “We fine-tuned the car together, and we worked on communication and building trust inside the cockpit. When you are out there in the desert, you need to be able to count on your navigator and vice versa. The human component of the Dakar is just as important as the machinery.”
A historical father-daughter duo
There is another new element in the upcoming Dakar Rally for Aliyyah. For the first time, her father, Martin Koloc, will be driving a second Revo Red-Lined T1+ alongside his daughter. This also marks a first in the recent history of the Dakar, with a father and daughter competing in the highest car category in two different cars.
Before stepping into the driver’s seat, Martin Koloc spent more than a decade at the Dakar in a management role with Buggyra ZM Racing, overseeing operations, strategy, and development from the bivouac. “I am having mixed emotions about my father racing in the Dakar,” Aliyyah said. “It makes us competitors in a way, but we will also be watching out for each other. If one of us has an issue, the other will be there to help.”
Aliyyah knows the Dakar well. At just 21, the 2026 edition will mark her fourth participation in the rally and her third year competing in the Ultimate category. “Each edition has pushed me in new ways, physically and mentally, brought its own set of memories and those classic Dakar curveballs that keep you on your toes from the first kilometer to the last.”
“The 2026 Dakar is going to become a new chapter in our family’s story. When I look across the bivouac, I’ll see my father gearing up too, and that will make every kilometer even more special,” Aliyyah reflected.
In a rally raid defined by isolation and self-reliance, the 2026 Dakar will offer a shared horizon in two separate cars, turning the world’s toughest rally into a family affair.
Dakar schedule
Buggyra ZM Racing will enter two Revo Red-Lined T1+ cars. Aliyyah Koloc, with navigator Marcin Pasek, will compete in the turbo-charged version with start number 250. Martin Koloc and his navigator, Italian Mirko Brun, will drive the non-turbo version with start number 251.
The 2026 Dakar will start on January 3 in Yanbu, where it will also end on January 17. The two-day marathon stage will run from Alula to Hail. The rest day will take place in Riyadh after stage 6.
The 2026 route will cover a total of 8,000 kilometers, including 5,000 kilometers of special stages.
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