Defender wins the 2026 Dakar Rally Stock class

Defender has done it. After almost 8,000 kilometres across every kind of Saudi Arabian terrain, the marque has claimed the Stock class at the 2026 Dakar Rally. It did so in emphatic style, too, taking 13 stage victories from 13 stages. What a debut in the legendary off-road enduro. Leading the way was young Rokas Baciuška, who recorded at least a podium finish every day while heading the production-car category from start to finish.

The 26-year-old Lithuanian driver and Defender rounded off their outstanding campaign in ideal fashion. Baciuška set the fastest time on the final day, securing his seventh stage victory ahead of team-mates Stéphane Peterhansel and Sara Price. The American strengthened the celebrations by confirming P2 in the combined Stock standings. The trio reached the finish in Yanbu, where the event had begun on 3 January, to hugs and cheers from the whole team after a 10th 1-2-3 result.

Defender dominates the 2026 Dakar Rally Stock class

Compared with the 900-kilometre days seen earlier in this year’s leading rally-raid, the closing leg was more of a sprint. Alongside a 36-kilometre road section, the main 105-kilometre timed route formed a tidy loop back to the Yanbu base camp. Alternating between sand and rocky ground, the course ran through valleys and soft lagoons. It then descended to the Red Sea coast for a rapid run to the chequered flag - dangerously flanked by water-filled ditches - and the long-awaited podium.

Although Baciuška started the day with a four-hour advantage, leaving him virtually certain to win the class, he had no intention of treating Stage 13 as a victory lap. He immediately pushed hard in the Defender Dakar D7X-R, which features showroom-specification gearbox, drivelines, chassis and bodywork, along with the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine from the Defender OCTA. At the first checkpoint, just 21 kilometres into the stage, he held an 88-second lead over Peterhansel, while Price was a further seven seconds adrift.

Together with co-driver Oriol Vidal, he kept up the pace through the second waypoint. By the third timing point at 65 kilometres, his margin over ‘Mr Dakar’ had reduced slightly to 51 seconds. Peterhansel recovered another 20 seconds on the approach to the finish, but Baciuška’s fitting conclusion to a superb campaign could not be denied. He covered the route in just under 56 minutes, with that composed final performance clinching the class title for driver and team alike.

“Amazing!” said a jubilant Baciuška. “For the first year for Defender, for me the first time in the Stock category, to bring the title was a big opportunity. It’s really nice. The team did a big job, not sleeping too much. I just need to say thank you. This a nice moment.”

To appreciate the extent of Baciuška’s dominance, consider his four-hour victory alongside the extraordinarily tight contest in the premier Rally GP motorbike class. KTM rider Luciano Benavides edged Honda rival Ricky Brabec by only two seconds after 13 stages and 8,000 kilometres. That is the madness of the Dakar.

Peterhansel and Price complete Defender’s podium result

Peterhansel and navigator Michaël Metge stopped the clock 32 seconds behind Baciuška, taking P2 on the stage. Despite being forced to retire from Stage 8 on Monday because of a broken alternator belt, the duo still finished fourth in the combined leaderboard, ahead of three other Stock class competitors. Victories on Stages 3, 4 and 7 helped their result.

At the conclusion of his 36th Dakar, the 14-time event winner said: “It was a nice adventure. A little bit different in the Stock class compared to what I know in the past [on motorbikes and in the T1+ category for bespoke-built prototype cars], but it was super nice to be in this team. A nice atmosphere, a super team spirit.

“At the end, for me, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster – up and down. But I will keep a lot of good memories. We are super happy because the main target was to try to win the category for Defender. Rokas did it, Sara second. For us, we are a little bit behind but it’s a really good team result. I’m really happy.”

Price was only another 30 seconds behind Peterhansel on the day. Supported by a hat-trick of stage wins, she and co-driver Sean Berriman secured second overall. The X-Games medallist added: “It was just incredible! The final stage, we just had to roll to get to the finish line as a team together. To see the whole Defender team sitting there and the excitement, the emotions – this is what it’s all about. This is what it means. To get this team to the finish line 1-2 is just incredible.”

Defender continues its World Rally-Raid Championship programme

After all the Dakar’s trials and tribulations, surely the crew can now relax? In a sense. They have undoubtedly earned a lengthy break after this most demanding of events, but Defender is nowhere near finished with tackling mud and leaping dunes. The brand has committed to the remainder of the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship as part of a three-year programme. There is, therefore, much more history yet to be written.

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