Defender dominates the 2026 Dakar Rally Stock category at halfway

The first working week after New Year can feel especially laborious. For Defender at the 2026 Dakar Rally, however, it has been anything but. Six victories from six stages in the Stock category, including five podium clean sweeps, show the team has delivered precisely what it set out to achieve in Saudi Arabia. The results place Rokas Baciuška and Stéphane Peterhansel first and second respectively in the class standings at the halfway mark.

It is an impressive start for the marque’s first factory campaign in the 8,000-kilometre off-road endurance event. Even so, there is still plenty of work ahead.

Defender leads the 2026 Dakar Rally Stock category

Sara Price offered an early indication of the pace to come by setting the fastest time in last Saturday’s short Prologue. In keeping with Dakar tradition, the 23-kilometre sprint around Yanbu determines the starting order for the first full stage. The American edged out Peterhansel and Baciuška, appearing to give the Extreme E race winner an ideal opening to the rally. Yet at Dakar, fortunes can change as quickly as the terrain beyond the next dune.

A damaged rear suspension arm during Stage 1 left Price waiting two hours for a support truck to assist with repairs. This opened the door for rising rally-raid talent Baciuška to take the stage victory. The 26-year-old Lithuanian mastered the 305-kilometre course and moved into the overall lead of the production-car-based Stock category, a position he has retained ever since. Price demonstrated considerable resilience the next day, recovering immediately to lead Defender’s top-three lockout in Stage 2.

The Dakar’s pre-dawn starts, demanding days and late finishes can test anyone’s patience. Fortunately, the Defender team has consistently shared the rewards. Stage 3 brought Peterhansel his first Stock category stage win, with navigator Michaël Metge alongside him as they tackled the route through ancient AlUla in the Defender Dakar D7X-R.

There is a clear reason why the vehicle appears so close to its showroom counterpart. Its gearbox, drivelines, bodywork and chassis all remain showroom specification. Even its powerful twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 comes directly from the Defender OCTA.

Marathon Stage tests Defender Dakar D7X-R crews

The next challenge was the 48-hour Marathon Stage. Back for 2026 and as punishing as its name suggests, this Dakar fixture combined Wednesday’s and Thursday’s competition into a single endurance test, with only a few hours of sleep in tents between the two days. Peterhansel became the first Defender driver to claim two stage wins, leading Price and Baciuška across the line for another 1-2-3 in the opening part.

There was no opportunity for the crews to relax or toast marshmallows over a campfire. For one thing, military rations did not include any sweet snacks. More importantly, Marathon Stage regulations prevent team support mechanics from helping to resolve mechanical problems. Baciuška and co-driver Oriol Vidal therefore spent much of the evening replacing a right-rear knuckle themselves. Their effective repair work was confirmed when they won the second Marathon leg.

By then, energy reserves were running low and the rest day was within sight. An easy run for the competitors might have seemed deserved, but the Dakar organisers had other ideas. Friday’s Stage 6 was the longest day of the entire event, taking the convoy from Ha’il through the Qassim region, in the centre of the country, to the capital Riyadh. The programme featured a 331-kilometre timed section, surrounded by a substantial 589 kilometres of road travel, creating an extraordinary 920-kilometre total.

Price took the honours once more. She has repeatedly launched into stages at remarkable speed, and Friday followed the same pattern. Along with co-driver Sean Berriman, she led from beginning to end, closing out the first week by preserving Defender’s flawless win record and securing a fifth 1-2-3 result.

Baciuška holds the overall Stock category lead

Baciuška’s second place in Stage 6, added to his two stage victories, strengthens his grip on first position in the overall Stock category standings. When the rally restarts on Sunday, he will aim to extend his 45-minute lead over Peterhansel. Price remains fourth in the aggregate timings, behind Ronald Basso’s Toyota Land Cruiser, following her earlier mechanical issue. With just under 4,000 kilometres yet to cover, though, the leaderboard could still change dramatically.

So how should Defender’s first week be assessed? This is Peterhansel’s 36th Dakar entry. Since first competing on a motorcycle in 1988, the 14-time event winner has missed only two editions, which explains why he is known as ‘Mr Dakar’. He is certainly well placed to judge Defender’s performance so far.

The 60-year-old says: “After one week of the rally, we are super happy. We find all the kinds of terrain – fast tracks, rocky tracks, a beautiful stage of sand – in all the conditions, the Defender is super fast and also super nice to drive…To be honest, since the beginning I took a lot of pleasure. The first day we had a technical problem [with the steering] where we lose one hour. But at the end, we are really happy to be here and also really satisfied. We enjoy a lot to drive this car in the desert.”

Although the rest day has given the drivers some welcome time away from the cockpit, Defender’s mechanics have remained busy dismantling, checking and preparing all three cars for the second week. Ahead lie the final seven stages, including another two-part Marathon Stage, before the event finishes back in Yanbu. Competition resumes on Sunday with the journey from Riyadh to Wadi ad-Dawasir, combining a 464-kilometre competitive section over fast sandy tracks with a 414-kilometre road section. Stay tuned for further updates.

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