Defender Achieves Outstanding Success in World Rally-Raid Championship
Defender has made a resounding entrance into the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), showcasing the impressive capabilities of its vehicles beyond traditional asphalt tracks. After an exhilarating nine-month season, the British automotive project celebrated an unprecedented achievement by securing the World Championship titles for drivers, co-drivers, and manufacturers in the Stock category, all while exhibiting remarkable performance throughout their inaugural season.
Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal emerged as the new world champions after finishing third in the grueling Rally of Morocco, accumulating a total of 233 points. Their exceptional performance was complemented by fellow competitors Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge, who capped off the season with a triumphant victory in Morocco. This week concluded on a high note for Defender, highlighting a year filled with notable achievements.
From Dakar Victory to World Championship Glory
The championship journey for Baciuška and Vidal did not commence in Morocco; it began several months prior. Their season kicked off with a remarkable victory at the Dakar 2026, earning them 50 points and positioning them favorably in the championship standings from the outset. Following this, they secured two second-place finishes in prominent events including the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal and the Desafío Ruta 40 in Argentina. Although they were not always the fastest, their consistent performances proved crucial as they navigated the challenges of the season.
The Rally of Morocco presented perhaps the most formidable challenge of their campaign. During the second stage, they faced a setback when a collision damaged the rear suspension of their D7X-R vehicle, leading to an early withdrawal from the special stage due to the lack of necessary spare parts. However, the resilient team returned to compete the following day, modifying their strategy to focus on finishing the race and securing the world title rather than chasing victory in Morocco itself. Their efforts paid off, as they finished third in the Stock category and proudly claimed the title of world champions. For Baciuška, this victory marks his fourth title in rally-raid competitions, having previously triumphed in SSV in 2022 and 2023 as well as in Challenger in 2024.
Meanwhile, Peterhansel and Metge concluded the season with a stellar performance in Morocco, winning the rally with a total time of 20 hours, 53 minutes, and 52 seconds, finishing ahead of the Toyota Land Cruiser driven by Yasir Seaidan and Jean-Michel Polato by an impressive 56 minutes and 29 seconds. After a challenging Dakar where Peterhansel finished fourth, he bounced back to win all three subsequent races entered by Defender: Portugal, Argentina, and Morocco. He concluded the championship with 220 points, just 13 points shy of Baciuška, demonstrating the exceptional capabilities of the D7X-R as it tackled real rally conditions over thousands of kilometers, including stones, fast sand, dunes, and heat across a total of 2,458 kilometers.
The final standings of the W2RC 2026 season reflect the dominance of the Defender project, with Baciuška leading the championship with 233 points, Peterhansel in second with 220, and Sara Price in third with 194, collectively placing three Defender vehicles in the top three positions of the Stock drivers' championship. Price and her co-driver Sean Berriman also had their moment in Morocco, winning the first stage and briefly leading the race before Peterhansel took over. They ultimately finished fourth, but Price's consistent performance throughout the season secured her a commendable third position in the championship.
In addition to the drivers' success, Defender Rally also claimed the title of world manufacturers champion in the Stock category with a total of 507 points, completing a remarkable sweep of titles in their debut season. The numbers speak volumes, underscoring the outstanding performance and competitiveness of the Defender vehicles throughout the season.
As reported by es.motorsport.com.
