Defender Rally have gained the 2026 Dakar Rally, the hardest off-road problem on the planet, of their debut 12 months, as drivers Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal win the Inventory class within the Defender Dakar D7X-R.
After two weeks of racing over relentlessly robust terrain, fellow teammates Sara Worth and Sean Berriman completed in second place, while ‘Mr Dakar’ Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Mika Metge completed in fourth place within the Dakar Rally Inventory class rankings.
The general Inventory class win adopted Rokas and Oriol claiming victory in immediately’s Stage 13 competitors in simply 55 minutes and 51 seconds, with Stephane and Mika ending second, and Sara and Sean finishing immediately’s end in third.
The trio of Defender Rally crews achieved a ‘1-2-3’ end result throughout 10 of the 13 levels, demonstrating dedication, precision and unwavering spirit. And over the 14-days of gruelling competitors, the three Defender Dakar D7X-Rs racked up a mixed complete of 24,000km traversing the Saudi Arabian desert.
Defender Rally Driver Rokas Baciuška stated: “Goals come true you realize, and it was my dream to win Dakar. For the primary 12 months for Defender, it’s superb. Our mechanics did an awesome job – what they do is unbelievable, working every single day till early within the morning to organize the automobiles for the following stage. I give my because of them, the engineers, the complete group as a result of with out them, we might not be right here. It’s nice to be P1 and P2.”
Defender Rally Driver Sara Worth, stated: “Dakar Rally was simply unbelievable. We had a objective on the closing stage to get to the end line as a group collectively. So to see the entire Defender group sitting there on the end line and all their pleasure and feelings, it simply reveals what that is all about and what it means. To get this group to the end line in P1 and P2 is simply, wow, unbelievable.”
Defender Rally Driver and 14-time Dakar Rally winner, Stéphane Peterhansel,stated: “As we speak the stage was brief, however quick and actually dynamic, so we pushed to start with and to the top, and we had numerous enjoyable driving. Total, it was a Dakar with full emotion – typically up, typically down. However the primary goal was to win the Inventory class, and Rokas completed first and Sara second. For us, it was slightly bit extra difficult, however what I hold in my thoughts, that it was good journey with a brilliant good group, tremendous group spirit between all of the members – the mechanics and all of the workers. Then me and my co-driver, we had been already shut collectively. So sure it’s not precisely the end result that I count on for me, however I’m tremendous comfortable as a result of it was a very nice Dakar for me.”
Defender Rally’s profitable automotive within the Inventory class, the Defender Dakar D7X-R, is intently associated to the manufacturing Defender OCTA. The life of every Defender Dakar D7X-R started on the identical bodyshell meeting line at Defender’s state-of-the-art facility in Nitra, Slovakia, as each manufacturing buyer Defender. The Defender Dakar D7X-R carries the identical sturdy D7x physique structure, transmission and driveline format because the Defender OCTA, probably the most succesful manufacturing Defender ever made. It’s also powered by the OCTA’s 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. The Defender Dakar D7X-R is then modified for the extremes of W2RC competitors with wider observe, elevated trip top, new suspension and enhanced cooling.
All through the triumphant 2026 Dakar Rally, the group had been supported by Official Companions Castrol, YETI, Bilstein, Bell & Ross, and Epic Video games, together with official suppliers Shackleton and Alpinestars.
Mark Cameron, Managing Director, Defender,stated: “I really feel exhilarated, amazed, and I can’t imagine it. It hasn’t actually sunk in but. To see the three Defenders come over the road collectively, it’s the end result of an unbelievable group effort. To see us win it in our first race has made historical past, and to additionally come second in such fashion. The group spirit has simply been unbelievable. They’re simply so proud.”
Ian James, Crew Principal of Defender Rally, stated: “Truthfully, I couldn’t be extra happy with the complete group. Not solely the truth that we’ve gained Dakar in the way in which that we’ve, however the method by which everyone’s pulled collectively and labored so laborious all through has been merely excellent. So, I’m wanting ahead to the celebrations. An enormous congratulations, in fact, to Rokas and Oriol specifically, however to each member of the group. An enormous thanks for the efforts in getting us so far, and lengthy might it proceed.”
Defender Rally will compete on the subsequent spherical of the World Rally-Raid Championship on the bp Final Rally-Raid Portugal from 17-22 March 2026
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