- 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 brand 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 brand 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 the Defender band’s capability and durability
- The Defender brand works team will complete a full test and development program in 2025 in preparation for their inaugural Dakar Rally in 2026
- Program complements a multi‑year agreement as official car partner to Dakar, supplying a fleet of support and highly specialized recce vehicle from 2025
Mahwah, NJ – Friday January 3, 2025: The Defender brand 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 brand works program 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 brand 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 capability and durability of Defender vehicles.
Defender vehicles are made for Dakar. Their inherent capability and purpose‑engineered D7x architecture is based on a lightweight aluminum monocoque construction to create a stiff body structure. It is three times stiffer than traditional body‑on‑frame designs, providing perfect foundations to help withstand the challenging conditions that Dakar will provide.
A comprehensive Defender competition development program is already underway which will culminate in a competitive test event during autumn 2025, followed by a full team launch ahead of Dakar 2026.
Dakar 2025 begins today. 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 vehicles.
There’s much work to do over the next 12 months, but with Defender works program testing and development well under way, the team are already embracing the ultimate motorsport adventure that lays ahead from 2026.
Mark Cameron
Defender Managing Director
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 vehicles 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 vehicle that’s in development.
James Barclay
JLR Motorsport Managing Director
While the Defender brand 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 Defender vehicles will support the event, which begins in Bisha, Saudi Arabia, and ends in Shubaytah, transporting race officials and VIP media. A further six highly specialized Defender recce vehicles will be used by Dakar Rally organizers to plan the routes for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 events.
*Rally Raid competition‑specification Defender vehicles are for use in the Dakar Rally and not available at retail.