Juan Cruz Yacopini will miss the 2026 Dakar Rally after reportedly suffering serious injuries in a sea diving accident shortly before Christmas, although details have not yet been officially confirmed by his family.
The Argentine driver was due to start his sixth Dakar Rally on Saturday, but that appearance has been ruled out. According to Argentine sources, the accident occurred when Yacopini dived into the sea with friends and struck his head in shallow water. He reportedly broke two vertebrae in his neck and suffered a cardiac arrest as a result of the impact. Yacopini is currently being treated in hospital and is conscious.
