Land Rover has announced its intention to compete with a works team in the Dakar Rally in 2026, marking a significant return to top-level off-road racing.

The three-year programme will see Defender compete in the full five-round FIA World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC), including a two-car entry across all rounds and a third car specifically for the Dakar Rally each year.

Defender will compete in the FIA’s ‘Stock’ category for production-based vehicles. This category will undergo significant regulatory updates for 2026, making it more competitive and providing the perfect platform to showcase Defender’s extreme capability and durability.

“Dakar 2025 has begun, and Defender is already here showcasing its capability and durability through our official car partnership,” said Mark Cameron, Defender’s managing director. “Knowing 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.”

Defender’s inherent capability is built upon the D7x (x for extreme) architecture, a lightweight aluminium monocoque construction that provides exceptional stiffness and durability, ideal for withstanding the rigours of the Dakar Rally.

A comprehensive development programme is under way, culminating in a competitive test event in autumn 2025, followed by a full team launch ahead of the 2026 Dakar Rally.

James Barclay, JLR Motorsports’ managing director, said: “I’ve called Dakar the Everest of motorsport. It will be an incredible adventure from both human and engineering perspectives. The team is already working hard to develop Defender within the new ‘Stock’ FIA W2RC rules for 2026, which will make for such a competitive category.”

While the competitive debut will be in 2026, Defender will play a crucial role at the 2025 Dakar Rally as the official vehicle partner. A fleet of 20 Defenders will support the event, transporting race officials and VIP media. Additionally, six highly specialised Defender recce vehicles will be used by Dakar Rally organisers to plan the routes for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 events.

Source: MotorPress