Carlos Sainz will continue his career in the World Rally-Raid Championship at the wheel of a Ford and will be present in the next round of the competition, held in Portugal, putting an end to the doubts that arose after his participation in the Dakar. At 62 years old, the four-time champion of the Saudi competition also begins a new sporting phase by changing co-driver, ending a 14-year connection with Lucas Cruz and now betting on the Catalan Dani Oliveras as the new navigator.
The announcement was made by the Spanish driver himself on social media, confirming Oliveras’ integration into the team and the debut of the new pair at the end of the month, in what will be the second race of the season. The change comes after Cruz ended his long partnership with Sainz after the 2026 Dakar, making room for a renewal in the structure of the veteran driver, known as “El Matador”.
For Dani Oliveras, 38 years old, this is a landmark opportunity in her career. The Catalan began his competitive career on motorbikes before moving on to navigation, accumulating significant experience in the Dakar. He has six participations as a co-driver and another five as a two-wheeler, having achieved ninth place as the best result in the latter category. His debut as a navigator took place in 2019 alongside Gerard Farrés, at SSV, where he finished as runner-up. In 2020 he moved to cars with Nani Roma and two years later achieved fourth place overall with Orly Terranova, the best absolute record to date.
In the last three editions of the competition he competed alongside Argentine Juan Cruz Yacopini, winning two seventh places, in 2023 and 2025, and also the Bajas World Cup last season. In the most recent edition of the Dakar, he was even the best-ranked Spaniard among the cars. Oliveras was without a team after the serious accident suffered by Yacopini, who is still recovering in Argentina due to a spinal cord injury.
The new navigator was enthusiastic about the challenge and recognized the importance of the partnership with Sainz, highlighting that it is an additional responsibility and an opportunity to continue evolving in the sport. He also took the opportunity to leave a message of support for his former teammate and the Yacopini family, remembering the three years of work together and wishing them strength in their recovery.
With this change, Sainz is preparing for a new competitive stage while keeping his ambition intact, now with a renewed duo that officially debuts in Portuguese territory, where the Ford team will seek to establish itself early in the fight for the championship.
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