The third stage of the Dakar Rally ended with another Defender success.
In the Stock category of this year’s Dakar Rally, esteemed off-road manufacturer Defender is attempting to claim victory for the first time by bringing three Defender OCTA-based D7X-R rally cars to the historic, legendary race with drivers Sara Price, Rokas Baciuška and Stéphane Peterhansel behind the wheel. The race got off to a great start for the team, with the prologue and second stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally giving the team a first, second or third place finish in their category.
Stage 3 has now come to an end and with over 250 racing miles behind the team on the stage, the result was another 1-2-3 stage win in the Stock category for the Defender Rally team. At the end of the stage, each pair of riders now has a win, with Stéphane Peterhansel with Mika Metge finishing in just 4 hours, 59 minutes and 7 seconds on the third stage, while Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal finished second just a minute behind and Sara Price and Sean Berriman finished two and a half minutes later.
The fourth stage, covering nearly 300 miles of driving, takes place on January 7th and begins the first half of the marathon stage of the 2026 rally. Defender is already a legendary name in the world of off-road driving and bold adventures. Racing in the 2026 Dakar Rally, Defender is quickly building a reputation in the world of rally motorsport as a formidable competitor on one of the most demanding racing stages in the world. As the Dakar Rally continues and the rest of the FIA W2RC leads the way, a legacy is blossoming for the new Defender Rally team.
Image source: JLR
