- Defender – the luxury British adventure brand – will compete with a works team in Dakar as part of a three-year FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) campaign, beginning in 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
- Defender will compete in the new ‘Stock’ 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
- Programme complements a multi-year agreement as official car partner to Dakar, supplying a fleet of support and highly specialised recce vehicles from 2025
Defender will compete with a works team in Dakar – the world’s most demanding off-road motorsport competition – as part of a full FIA World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) entry.
Starting in 2026, the three-year Defender works programme will consist of a two-car entry across the full five-rounds of the W2RC, with a third car participating each year in Dakar – the Championship’s halo event.
From 2026 to 2028, Defender vehicles will compete in the FIA’s ‘Stock’ category – for production-based vehicles – within the Dakar Rally and the full W2RC. An update to the sporting and technical regulations in this important category will be implemented for 2026, making it significantly more competitive and the perfect platform to demonstrate the extreme capability and durability of Defender.
Defender is made for Dakar. Its inherent capability and purpose-engineered D7x (x for extreme) architecture is based on a lightweight aluminium monocoque construction to create a stiff body structure. It is three times stiffer than traditional body-on-frame designs, providing perfect foundations to withstand the extreme conditions that Dakar will provide.
A comprehensive Defender competition development programme is already underway which will culminate in a competitive test event during autumn 2025, followed by a full team launch ahead of Dakar 2026.
Mark Cameron, Defender Managing Director, said: “Dakar 2025 has begun. Defender is already here showcasing its capability and durability through our official car partnership, but to know that 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 is incredibly exciting. 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 is 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 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 is 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.”
While Defender will not compete in Dakar until 2026, it will play a key role at the 2025 rally as the event’s official vehicle partner. 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.
