Five-time MXoN winner teams up with Botturi for 6,000km rally raid debut on the Ténéré 700 Rally
Motocross great Gautier Paulin is set to take on one of rally raid’s toughest challenges in early 2026, lining up alongside Alessandro Botturi in the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team for the Africa Eco Race aboard the Ténéré 700 Rally.
Paulin’s addition to the team brings serious pedigree. The Frenchman is a five-time consecutive Motocross of Nations winner with Team France (2014–2018) and one of the most successful riders of his generation. His motorsport journey began on bicycles, becoming a BMX World Champion at just 10 years of age, before transitioning to motocross and winning the 2007 EMX2 Championship.
A move to MX2 followed, where Paulin claimed three GP wins, seven race wins and 18 podiums before stepping up to the MXGP class in 2011. Over the course of his premier-class career, he recorded nine GP victories, 23 race wins, 41 podium finishes and more than 4,500 championship points. His five MXoN victories make him the most successful French rider in the history of the event, a tally he added to again in 2023 as Team France Manager.
While best known for motocross, Paulin has already begun carving out a name for himself in rally raid. His first taste of the discipline came at the 2025 Carta Rallye, where he joined the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team as a guest rider, finishing third outright and claiming a class win. The result underlined his raw speed, though rally raid presents a very different challenge to motocross, demanding endurance, navigation skills and the ability to manage long days that can stretch beyond 1,000 kilometres.
The 35-year-old has spent recent months working closely with the team on development of the Ténéré 700 Rally, while also drawing on Botturi’s extensive rally experience to sharpen his navigation and racecraft. Paulin is also no stranger to the Africa Eco Race itself, having previously competed in the event and won the 2024 edition in the car category.
Botturi, meanwhile, heads into the 2026 Africa Eco Race looking for redemption. The Italian is a multiple Dakar finisher and two-time Africa Eco Race winner (2019 and 2020), but endured a crushing near-miss at last year’s event. After leading the rally deep into the final stage, Botturi was forced to stop when netting became tangled in his wheels, costing him crucial time and ultimately the win by just 26 seconds.
Despite that setback, Botturi arrives in strong form. His 2025 season included a victory at the Swank Rally, second overall in the Italian Motorally Championship, and a competitive showing at the Carta Rallye before retiring on the final stage while battling for the lead.
The Africa Eco Race covers more than 6,000 kilometres and follows much of the original Paris–Dakar route, making it one of the most demanding events on the rally calendar. The 2026 edition begins in Tangiers, crossing the Atlas Mountains and heading south into the Sahara before tackling the vast dunes of Mauritania. The rally concludes in Senegal, with the finish line set at the iconic Lac Rose in Dakar.
Alongside the factory pairing, 12 riders from the Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) program will also contest the event. The group includes Kevin Gallas, who recently rode the Ténéré to victory at the Carta Rallye, as well as Antonio Maio and Mike Weidemann, both of whom claimed stage wins at the same event. Nicholas Charlier, a stage winner at the 2025 Africa Eco Race, will return, while 14-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel is set to join the team and TSE riders for several stages.
The 2026 Africa Eco Race begins with scrutineering and technical checks in Tangiers from January 24, ahead of the official start on January 25. Competitors will face five stages in Morocco, followed by a rest day in Dakhla, before crossing into Mauritania for another five stages. Two final days in Senegal will decide the outcome, with the rally concluding in Dakar on February 7.
Gautier Paulin – Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“I am so excited for this new chapter in my career. Five years ago, I stopped racing motocross professionally, but my passion for racing has never gone away, and I have been a fan of rally raid since I watched the Dakar with my father as a child. Therefore, when I had the opportunity through the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team to help develop the new race bike, I immediately said, “Yes!” Then they invited me to take part in the Carta Rallye earlier in the year, and I was hooked. Rally raid is completely different to an MXGP race; instead of going flat out for 45 minutes, you have to manage your pace, stamina, and much more for over 6,000 km in the AER. I am under no illusions about how difficult this will be, and while I know my riding level is high, my navigation skills still need improvement. They say you need to complete 15,000 km of roadbook training before you are ready for a rally raid. I have done only 1,000-2,000 km, but the team and my teammate, Alessandro, have been fantastic at getting me up to speed. I can’t thank them enough, especially Alessandro, for all of their help. This will be a very steep learning curve for me, and I am there to support Alessandro in any way I can, and I cannot wait to get started!”
Alessandro Botturi – Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Having someone like Gautier join the team is incredible. His riding level is off the charts, but it is not easy to transition from motocross to rally raid, where pace is just one of the key factors. He has been incredible in testing, and it has been a pleasure working with him on his roadbook and navigation training. He has been fully committed to every step of the process, and I believe his potential to become a leading rally raid rider is there for all to see. Personally, I feel fitter and stronger than ever, and I am more prepared than ever before. I aim to bounce back from last year’s disappointment, where I only lost in the final few kilometres and try to secure my third victory at the event, the first for the team, and the first for the Ténéré!”
Marc Bourgeois – Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“It is very exciting to welcome Gautier to the team, alongside Alessandro, for the 2026 Africa Eco Race. It will be a significant challenge for him to transition into rally raid, but he has already impressed not only with his performance at the Carta Rallye but also with his role in developing the official Ténéré 700 Rally race bike. He has been working hard behind the scenes with Alessandro and the team on his navigational skills and everything else required to become a rally raid rider, and he has shown incredible potential. Rally is a marathon, not a sprint, so it requires a completely different mindset than he is used to, but with him and Alessandro in the team, we are confident we have the perfect mix of speed and experience. Alessandro is determined to bounce back after last year, when he missed out on victory by just 26 seconds through no fault of his own. He is more determined and fitter than ever, and we are confident we can fight for the victory. We also have 12 riders joining us from the Ténéré Spirit Experience: 11 in the Race category and 1 in the Raid, who will experience all the highs and lows of rally raid alongside the team. We have been preparing for this race for the last twelve months, and we are ready to go!”
