EPIC ADVENTURES

Defender will compete with a works team in Dakar as part of a three-year FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) campaign, beginning in 2026.
 

The Programme complements a multi-year agreement with Defender as official car partner to Dakar Rally, supplying a fleet of support and highly specialised recce vehicles starting at this year’s rally. A fleet of 20 Defenders will support the event, which begins in Bisha, Saudi Arabia and ends in Shubaytah, transporting race officials and VIP media. A further six highly specialised Defender recce vehicles will be used by Dakar Rally organisers to plan the routes for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 events.
 

From 2026, Defender will run a two-vehicle entry across the full five-rounds of the W2RC, with a three-car entry in the championship’s halo event the Dakar Rally. Competing in a new category – for production‑based vehicles – which from 2026 will conform to new and heavily revised regulations making it the perfect platform to demonstrate Defender’s extreme capability and durability.
 

The Defender works team will complete a full test and development programme in 2025 in preparation for their inaugural Dakar Rally in 2026.

Mark Cameron, Defender Managing Director, said: “Defender is at Dakar 2025 showcasing its capability and durability through our official car partnership, but in 12 months we’ll be back with a three-car Defender works team entry at the beginning of a full FIA World Rally Raid Championship campaign. We have chosen to compete in the ‘Stock’ category to showcase the toughness and dependability of the production Defender."
 

“There’s much work to do over the next 12 months, but with Defender works programme testing and development well under way, the team are already embracing the ultimate motorsport adventure that lays ahead from 2026.”
 

James Barclay, JLR Motorsport Managing Director said: “I’ve called Dakar the Everest of motorsport. Being here today to once again see the prologue stage kick-off reinforces the challenge we face. It will be an incredible adventure from both human and engineering perspectives, and the team are already working hard to develop Defender within the new ‘Stock’ FIA W2RC rules for 2026 that will make for such a competitive category. We along with the FIA, ASO and other manufacturers have helped shape these new regulations, which represent an exciting new chapter for the Dakar, W2RC and Rally Raid in general."
 

“I’m looking forward to bringing you more news soon of our Rally Raid competition‑spec Defender that’s in development.”