Defender captures his journey to Dakar in a new documentary.
Already respected for its long-standing reputation in the off-road world, Defender has become its own brand under the Land Rover umbrella, and the household name in the automotive adventure industry is looking to claim even greater bragging rights than it already has with the aim of winning the Dakar Rally in 2026. The time for this race is fast approaching and Defender has already revealed the racing livery of its D7X-R model, which is based on the performance flagship Defender OCTA and will take part in the “Stock” category of next year’s Dakar Rally.
While an epic journey to the Defender’s debut at the Dakar Rally is still underway, the manufacturer has announced that a new documentary will capture behind-the-scenes moments of the team preparing for the daunting race. The first episode of the documentary, produced by Warner Bros. Discovery, will be broadcast worldwide on Eurosport and TNT Sports ahead of the race in January. The three-part series will highlight the co-driver line-up including 14-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel with Mika Metge, Rokas Baciuška with Oriol Vidal and Sara Price with Sean Berriman.
Emmy Award-winning actress Gillian Anderson serves as the series’ narrator, and there is a particular focus on celebrating women in motorsports as Sara Price, whose 17 National Motocross Championship victories preceded her Dakar debut last year, continues to pave the way for women in racing with her role as Defender driver. The 45-minute episode will be released on January 3rd. After filming at the Dakar Rally, the remaining two episodes will be released later next year.
Image source: JLR
