Matthias
Walkner
Austria
·
Rally Raid
Date of birth | September 1, 1986 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Salzburg, Austria |
Age | 40 |
Nationality | Austria |
Career start | 2004 |
Disciplines | Rally Raid Bike / Rally Raid Side By Side/Quad |
Matthias Walkner grew up wanting to be a motorcycle rider. In 2002, at 16 years of age, he began working at a motorcycle shop, developing his mechanical skills and understanding. In 2004, he became part of the KTM family, working initially as a test rider before winning the MX3 world title.
In 2015, Walkner’s mission at his first Dakar was to support defending champion Marc Coma and learn as much as possible from the top riders. Coma had no doubts, “Matthias is very fast and has a bright future ahead of him, but, just like everybody else, he must be cautious. He knows he will suffer a lot during his first Dakar.”
Indeed his performance was impressive, winning the third stage before having to retire due to illness. It didn’t stop him, though: by October he was FIM World Cross-Country Rallies Champion.
A Dakar Rally winner
After finishing second at the 2017 Dakar Rally, Walkner went one better the following year as he took first place, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders taking up three of the first four finishing places.
"It’s an amazing feeling, I never thought I could win it, the aim was always to get on the podium," Walkner said after his victory. "It was so close this year, but stage 10 turned out to be a real key day. Maybe this year the luck was on my side – this really is a dream come true."
Walkner followed that up with a second-place overall finish at the 2019 Dakar Rally behind KTM team-mate Toby Price and one spot ahead of fellow KTM rider Sam Sunderland in a KTM podium lockout.
In the Dakar's first staging in Saudi Arabia in 2020, Walkner finished in fifth spot overall. One year later he returned to the country with hopes of a place on the podium. A clutch issue during the second stage ending his ambitions, but he was still able to battle back to secure a top-10 finish.
Crowned a world champion
Walkner soon put the disappointment of the Dakar behind him with a string of impressive performances, including first place at the Silk Way Rally and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge as he secured the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship title.
In 2022, Walkner fought his way into contention for the Dakar title in Saudi Arabia but eventually had to settle for third place, his fourth podium finish at the gruelling event.
His 2023 Dakar Rally campaign ended in disappointment, however, as he crashed out during Stage 13. He then missed the 2024 Dakar due to injuries sustained in a crash during training a month before the rally.
Embracing a new challenge
The injury that Walkner sustained in 2024 kept him on the sidelines for almost two years as he was forced to undergo numerous surgeries and intense rehabilitation. However, he refused to walk away from the sport and, in March of 2026, announced that he would make the transition from two to four wheels.
Walkner is now competing in the World Rally-Raid Championship in the Challenger category and is determined to get back to winning ways.