The next Dakar Rally is set to take place in Saudi Arabia in just under a month, running from January 3 to 17 and covering a total distance of around 8,000 kilometres.

The Austrian — who inherited 49% of Red Bull following the death of his father Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022 — will reportedly not be competing under his real name, instead racing under the alias “Mark Mustermann.”

He will not be alone, either. His partner Victoria Swarovski, heiress to the famous jewellery empire, should also be taking part in the rally, competing under the pseudonym “Vic Flip.”

A similar move had already been pulled by Max Verstappen earlier in the season, when he took to the Nordschleife last May for a private test in a Ferrari GT3 under the alias “Franz Hermann” — a run that inevitably attracted huge media attention.

The four-time world champion later went on to contest two official Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie races at the green hell.

He first competed in the GT4 class to obtain his A Permit, before stepping up to the Ferrari 296 GT3, where he went on to win the race outright.

A number of high-profile names will also be lining up for the Dakar Rally in 2026, including multiple-time winner Carlos Sainz — father of Williams driver Carlos Sainz — as well as rally legend and multi-time world champion Sébastien Loeb.