The new Dakar rally raid team from Jaguar Land Rover, Defender Rally, made its debut at the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship on 3 January and continues its overall lead in the ‘Stock’ category.
Defender Rally, a team from Jaguar Land Rover, debuted at the 2026 Dakar Rally at the first round of the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship on 3 January. With a three-car entry, the team has a world-class selection of drivers, namely Stéphane Peterhansel, Rokas Baciuška and Sara Price, with a skilled co-driver for each.
The car used by the Coventry-based automaker is the Defender Dakar D7X-R and competes in the ‘Stock’ category for production-based vehicles. To adhere to strict category regulations, the D7X-R is closely related to the Defender Octa. Both models are built on the same D7x architecture and uses an identical transmission and drivetrain layout. The D7X-R also uses the same engine as the Octa, a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, albeit running on advanced sustainable fuel.
However, some modifications are allowed in this category. Land Rover has widened the car’s track, increased its ride height and added new suspension. Enhanced cooling also features on the car.
The rally is taking place from 3-17 January, with only one rest day in the schedule. The drivers will face approximately 5 000 km of timed stages across extreme terrain in the world’s most challenging rally-raid setting, considered to be the motorsport equivalent of an individual climbing Mount Everest.
Ian James, Team Principal of Defender Rally has noted that “[their team’s] target is clearly for all three drivers to be competitive” and they “don’t underestimate the challenge of the adventure that lays ahead”. And it seems the team is achieving this in its Dakar debut, with Rokas Baciuška leading the overall standings in the ‘Stock’ category. In addition, the team has dominated the podium in the last three stages, with 1-2-3 finishes in Stage 2, Stage 3, and Stage 4.
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