'El Matador' bullish about Dakar title defense

Sainz added: "I expect, first of all, to enjoy it, to have really good fun driving.

"I expect to have not so many problems, and I expect to fight for the victory. I'm happy to help to try to win this challenge, the Dakar."

No one has managed to take a machine fresh from the factory to victory since Ari Vatanen, who triumphed with the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 in 1987, and then with the 405 — its technical heir — in 1989, followed by the Citroen ZX in 1991.

But, that hasn't stopped Sainz's rivals also choosing to blood new cars over the 5,115 kilometers (3,178 miles) of specials mapped out over the 12 stages between Bisha and Shubaytah.

Five-time winner Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and France's nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb will be piloting Dacia Sandriders, while Spain's one-time Dakar winner Nani Roma will also be in a Ford.

One notable absentee from the action, however, will be France's 'Mr Dakar', 14-time champion Stephane Peterhansel, who hung up his keys last year.