Husqvarna Motorcycles has announced that it will compete in the Dakar Rally with an official factory team from the 2016 edition of the most famous and toughest off-road event on the annual motorsports calendar.

The official Husqvarna Factory Racing Team has signed two prominent riders in the form of Dakar veteran Ruben Faria and Pela Renet, who comes to rally sport with impeccable enduro credentials as the current E2 World Champion. They will contest the Dakar on the Husqvarna FR 450 Rally bike.

Robert Jonas, Husqvarna Motorcycles vice president motorsports, said he very much welcomed the announcement as a natural extension to Husqvarna’s engagement at the highest level in other leading international motorsport activities.

“We are pleased and proud to be taking the Husqvarna brand another step forward into rally sport,” Jonas explained. “Husqvarna has a rich tradition of racing and this represents an opportunity for us to honor and extend this tradition.

“The Dakar is the most prestigious rally on the calendar. We’re determined to compete on equal terms with the world’s best teams and we are ready to accept the challenge of rally sport at its finest. We are also very confident that it will be rewarding for our brand and our factory team.”

The Husqvarna presence in the Dakar paddock will be further underlined by the HT Husqvarna Rally Team, managed by Henk Hellegers as the brand’s official satellite team.