Legendary driver Stéphane Peterhansel joins Defender's 2026 Dakar Rally Campaign with D7X-R prototype

Defender is well on the way in its preparations for entering the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), having finished prototype testing in Morocco with the Defender Dakar D7X-R.

They have also signed 14-time Dakar Rally winner Stéphane Peterhansel alongside emerging talent Rokas Baciuška.

Peterhansel joined the Defender Rally team in Morocco, completing early testing with the prototype of the Defender Dakar D7X-R as they began preparations for competing at the Dakar Rally in January 2026.

Dakar success

Peterhansel, 59, the most successful Dakar Rally driver of all time, has competed in the Dakar Rally 35 times on both bike and car and has won the ultimate off-road race 14 times. In 2026, he will race for Defender in all rounds of the W2RC to help pave the way for Defender’s future in the sport as he strives to build on his record win tally.

Emerging talent

Twenty-five-year-old Lithuanian Baciuška is the first driver in the history of the FIA to win world champion titles in two different categories. In 2022, he made his Dakar Rally debut and finished third in the T4 category.

He went on to complete the 2022 W2RC with four podiums, including winning the 2022 Rallye du Maroc, which secured him the overall W2RC championship in T4. Baciuška finished second in the T4 category of the 2023 Dakar Rally and third in the T3 category in 2024.

Defender will make its works debut at the Dakar Rally, where three Defender Dakar D7X-Rs will compete in the Stock category for production-based cars. A two-car entry will contest the remaining rounds of the 2026 FIA W2RC.

Dakar D7X-R

The Defender Dakar D7X-R shares the same D7x aluminium body architecture, transmission and driveline layout as production Defenders. The Defender Dakar D7X-R is powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine.

“Completing our first official test in the Defender Dakar D7X-R prototype is a huge milestone and kicks off a busy calendar of testing activity on our journey to Dakar.

"The team is doing phenomenal work as we prepare for the world’s most challenging off-road race in just eight months,” James Barclay, managing director of JLR Motorsport, said.

“I am delighted to begin a new chapter with Defender. The World Rally-Raid Championship is the pinnacle of rallying and off-road competition, whilst Defender is an iconic and capable 4x4, so for me it’s the perfect match.

"The team is committed to the championship and has a passion to win. I’m looking forward to taking on this new challenge and together I hope we can take Defender to the top step of the podium,” said Peterhansel.

Baciuška said he was looking forward to being part of the Defender story.

“I’m excited to make my debut in the Stock category of the Dakar Rally, made even more significant by driving for Defender. Having the legendary Defender join the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship and Dakar Rally is a historic moment in motorsport and for the brand.”

The third driver for the team’s Dakar Rally campaign will be announced at a later date, along with the drivers’ navigators.

Stock Category

The 2026 edition of the W2RC will implement new regulations that are aimed at making the Stock category significantly more competitive overall, as the FIA and Dakar organisers respond to the increasing capacity and popularity of high-performance 4x4s and SUVs.

These new regulations will allow increased performance benefits, allowing Defender to showcase its durability and capability through the harshest terrains.

The build of Defender’s official competition cars has also started, with the bodies of the cars coming off the line at JLR’s Nitra production plant.

An exhaustive test programme is planned before a full team launch later this year, ahead of Dakar and the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship in 2026.