Toni Mulec is four points off the lead. Between two Honda HRC riders, the Slovenian privateer is keeping the Rally2 title fight open. Ahead of the Rallye du Maroc, Martim Ventura leads with 69 points, Mulec follows with 65 and Preston Campbell has 52. That makes the Dakar class winner one of the most interesting challengers to the factory team. Source: official W2RC Rally2 standings.
Status: 23 September 2026, after three rounds. The “Rally2 World Championship” is often mentioned. Formally, this is the FIM Rally-Raid World Cup for the Rally2 class run alongside the W2RC – a separate classification next to the RallyGP World Championship.
The Title Fight in Numbers
| Rider | Team | Dakar | Portugal | Ruta 40 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martim Ventura | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 24 | 20 | 25 | 69 |
| Toni Mulec | BAS World KTM Team | 38 | 11 | 16 | 65 |
| Preston Campbell | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 30 | 9 | 13 | 52 |
The figures show championship points, not stage positions. Mulec is four points behind Ventura and 13 ahead of Campbell. Source: W2RC, Rally2 overall standings 2026.
Dakar Winner, Not Just an Outsider
Mulec has already beaten Honda on the biggest stage: at the 2026 Dakar he won Rally2 with a winning margin of 4 minutes and 37 seconds over Campbell. Ventura was third. That makes the Slovenian a title contender with a solid track record. Source: Honda’s final Dakar report.
His route there was step by step. Born in 1985 and from Slovenj Gradec, he came to rally sport via motocross, cross-country and hard enduro. His official profile lists four Slovenian cross-country championship titles, among other things. At the Dakar he improved from 24th overall in 2023 to 15th in 2024 and 13th in 2025, then to ninth overall and the Rally2 win in 2026. Sources: Dakar rider profile and Mulec’s own biography.
Privateer Does Not Mean Without Professional Support
Mulec rides for BAS World KTM. His Dakar profile lists the team for both preparation and assistance. He also describes winning sponsors while training in parallel as an essential part of his programme there. He is not a KTM factory rider, but neither is he a lone fighter without mechanics. Source: Dakar profile and rider interview.
That is precisely the appeal of this story: a privately organised project with an experienced race team remains competitive against a manufacturer programme. How large the budget differences really are cannot be quantified from the publicly available information.
His Machine: KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica
Behind start number 16 is a KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica. The Dakar profile lists a 449 cc single-cylinder engine and a 34-litre fuel tank. It is thus a specialised rally bike. The “Factory Replica” model designation describes the machine; it does not make its rider a member of the factory team. Source: official vehicle profile.
Honda’s Rally2 programme relies on the CRF450RX RALLY. HRC lists a 449.7 cc single-cylinder engine, an aluminium frame based on the CRF450R and a total fuel capacity of 36 litres. Both sides therefore run serious competition machines. No sporting advantage can be derived from engine capacity or tank size alone. Source: HRC machine profile.
Honda Has Closed In – Mulec Stays on Their Heels
At the Desafío Ruta 40, Ventura won ahead of his Honda team-mate Bruno Crivilin. Mulec finished third as the best privateer and lost the championship lead to Ventura. The gap nevertheless stayed at four points. Argentina thus showed both things: Honda’s strength in the Rally2 field and Mulec’s ability to take valuable points even behind a Honda one-two. Source: official W2RC final report on the Ruta 40.
Morocco Becomes the Next Test
The Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc is announced for 28 September to 3 October 2026 as the fourth round of the season between Agadir and Zagora. Honda enters Ventura and Campbell in Rally2. For Mulec, the aim is to attack the small deficit while staying in the title race. Source: W2RC preview of Morocco.
Our assessment: Mulec’s season so far is a strong example of what a well-prepared private project can achieve. The Dakar win gives his challenge weight. Whether it becomes the season title is open – a four-point deficit certainly makes the next round particularly worth watching.
Image note: AI-assisted editorial collages based on Toni Mulec’s official Dakar portrait and photos from his website. The images combine rider and motorcycle in a designed desert scene; they do not document a single race moment.