Defender Rally will return to FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) motion within the bp Final Rally-Raid Portugal Portugal on 17 March. Following its Dakar Rally success, the Defender crews of Rokas Baciuška/Oriol Vidal, Sara Worth/Sean Berriman and Stéphane Peterhansel/Mika Metge will return to competitors in Portugal within the Defender Dakar D7X-R.
Within the groups’ debut at the 2026 Dakar Rally, drivers Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal received the Inventory class within the Defender Dakar D7X-R, with Sara/Sean ending in second place. The trio of Defender Rally crews achieved a ‘123’ end result throughout 10 of the 13 Dakar phases. Now, it’s onto bp Final Rally-Raid Portugal to construct on that success.
Rokas at present leads the W2RC Inventory class driver standings, adopted by Sara and Stéphane in second and third place on 107, 87 and 69 factors respectively. Oriol, Sean and Mika are additionally respectively in first, second and third locations within the navigators’ standings.
Ian James, Workforce Principal, Defender Rally, mentioned: “There’s little doubt that Portugal poses a completely completely different problem to Dakar. With tighter, extra technical phases, consistency and precision are key. Reliability is all the things, particularly in Inventory, and Dakar confirmed that the Defender Dakar D7X-R is extraordinarily aggressive. The purpose is to construct on that Dakar momentum as we give attention to the W2RC that lays forward.”
For 2026, occasion organiser Automóvel Membership de Portugal (ACP) has reshaped the bp Final Rally-Raid route. Grandola stays as the beginning, adopted by Badajoz in Spain’s Extremedura area, however Loulé within the Algarve is that this yr’s finish-line spot. The rally consists of 5 phases and covers 2,175km in whole, together with 1,320km of timed sections. The ACP has mentioned this yr’s route has been redesigned to succeed in the Atlantic, promising for terrain extra diversified than in 2024 and 2025 and a technical problem for the groups competing. In comparison with the season’s opening spherical in Saudi Arabia, Portugal consists of a lot narrower phases and calls for greater common speeds. In spring climate can also be unsure within the area, usually with heavy rainfall for drivers to take care of.
Rokas Baciuška, Defender Rally driver, mentioned: “Dakar was an incredible debut for us and the entire Defender Rally workforce, and we purpose to take the identical consistency we confirmed there into the Portugal race. At Dakar, our precedence was to take care of the automobile and convey it to the end – in Portugal, the terrain is far rockier and the course is narrower, however we’re centered on doing the identical and sustaining our place within the W2RC.”
Sara Worth, Defender Rally driver, mentioned: “Dakar was an incredible expertise and I’m so pleased with the outcomes the workforce achieved and the resilience we confirmed all through. Waiting for my first time racing in Portugal, we actually need to construct on that momentum. We all know our strengths and we all know the place we will enhance, and we’re decided to push to the end once more. I can’t wait to be again behind the wheel with my teammates!”
Stéphane Peterhansel, Defender Rally driver, mentioned: “It’s superb to return to Portugal for spherical two of the W2RC, this time for Defender Rally’s European debut. It’s a technical race for certain, however we’re properly outfitted to deal with the course. At Dakar, we encountered some troublesome challenges, however we’re again and able to showcase the D7X-R’s unbelievable functionality as soon as once more.”
Derived from the Defender OCTA, the Defender Dakar D7X-R maintains the identical sturdy D7x physique structure, transmission and driveline format of the manufacturing automobile, however is constructed to the new FIA Inventory class laws for the W2RC. For rally-raid, Defender Rally has carried out a variety of developments to make sure the D7X-R is able to tackle the intense problem offered by the championship – a wider observe, elevated journey top to deal with rocky terrain and up to date suspension are key diversifications.
With the assist of companions Castrol, Bilstein, YETI and Bell & Ross, and suppliers Shackleton and Alpinestars, the Defender Rally workforce will full a pre-rally check programme in Portugal forward of the 5 days of competitors from 17-22 March.
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