Amputated navigator returns to Dakar 11 months after life-changing accident

Four-time Dakar Rally-winning navigator Mathieu Baumel has returned to the event this year, just 11 months after a serious accident and the amputation of his right leg.

Baumel was on his way to Rally Monte Carlo at the beginning of 2025 when he was struck by a vehicle after stopping to help stranded motorists.

The crash caused such severe injuries to his right leg that it had to be amputated. He did retain his left leg, although it required three separate operations.

In the aftermath of the accident, Baumel immediately made it clear that he had no intention of ending his career as a navigator because of the amputation.

The Frenchman backed up those words by arriving in Yanbu for the start of the 2026 Dakar, just 11 months after the incident. He was greeted with applause during the press conference ahead of Saturday’s prologue, where he spoke about the difficult road he had travelled over the past year.

“First of all, you can’t imagine how happy I am to be here with you, the Dakar family,” Baumel said. “The past 11 months have obviously been very difficult, especially at the beginning, when you don’t know if you are going to die – because that was the situation.

"We also didn’t know whether one leg or both legs would need to be amputated. In the end, I’ve kept one leg that isn’t in perfect shape, but it’s not bad. On the right side, you can see that I now have a nice prosthesis.”

From the very start of his rehabilitation, Baumel had set participation in the 2026 Dakar alongside Guillaume de Mevius as his ultimate goal, although the journey was far from easy.

“In the end, it was made possible thanks to everyone: the medical staff, my friend Guillaume, who was there from the very beginning, and of course Sven [Quandt, X-raid CEO]. That’s why I’m here today. I’m certainly not in exactly the same condition as before, but together with Guillaume, Sven and the entire X-Raid team, we’ve done a good job to arrive here with a comfortable and fast car. In that sense, we’re happy.”

#222 X-Raid Mini JCW Mini: Guillaume De Mevius, Mathieu Baumel

De Mevius was pleased to have Baumel as his navigator for the second consecutive year in the Dakar.

“I’m very proud and very happy to be here,” the Belgian said during the press conference. “He did everything to be here, and I’m extremely proud of that. I’m also very proud to be his driver and to stand here together with him in front of you. Now I want to perform and race just like last year, so nothing changes in the car. We’re going to push just as hard and try to beat everyone.”

Baumel and De Mevius will have to make some adjustments in certain areas due to the former's condition.

“Guillaume and I also did a good job preparing for situations where we might have trouble with a puncture, or if we have to get in and out of the car,” Baumel explained. “Of course, it’s not the same as before, but we know what we need to do and how to do it. So we’re ready to start this Dakar.”

Despite the difficult year behind him, the navigator is proud simply to be on the start line. “For me, it’s already a first victory to be here with you and to be able to start. After that, we’ll see what we can do.”

Baumel formed a successful partnership with Nasser Al-Attiyah, guiding the Qatari to four of his five Dakar wins. The pair parted ways after the 2024 Dakar Rally, with Baumel briefly working with Guerlain Chicherit before joining De Mevius as his navigator. 

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