Defender completes perfect Stock class sweep at Desafio Ruta 40
Defender Rally dominated the 2026 Desafío Ruta 40 in Argentina, securing a 1-2-3 finish in the Stock class as all three Defender Dakar D7X-R entries completed the gruelling five-stage World Rally-Raid Championship event.
Defender Rally delivered a commanding performance at the 2026 Desafo Ruta 40 in Argentina, securing a clean sweep of the Stock category with all three Defender Dakar D7X-R entries reaching the finish and occupying the top three positions in class.
The five-day rally-raid event, which forms part of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), saw rally legend Stephane Peterhansel and co-driver Mika Metge claim victory in the Stock class with a cumulative time of 18 hours, 11 minutes and 12 seconds.
Teammates Rokas Baciuka and Oriol Vidal finished second with a total time of 18:20:30, while Sara Price and Saydiie Gray completed the podium in third place with 19:06:04.
Beyond dominating the production-based category, the Defender crews also delivered impressive performances against more specialised machinery. Peterhansel, Baciuska and Price finished 18th, 19th and 20th respectively in the overall Car category standings, competing alongside the more powerful T1+ Ultimate-class vehicles.
Strong finish in final stage
The rally concluded with a demanding 340km Stage 5, where Baciuska and Vidal emerged fastest among the Defender crews, completing the special stage in 2:53:05. Peterhansel and Metge followed in second, while Price and Gray secured third among the Defender entries.
Held across some of Argentina's most challenging terrain, the rally covered 1,523km of timed stages. Competitors raced from San Juan into the Mendoza region, traversing sections of the Andes mountain range before returning to San Juan for the finish.
The route featured dry riverbeds, high-altitude mountain passes and extensive sand dunes, providing a stern test for both crews and machinery.
Historic achievement for all-women crew
One of the standout stories of the event came from Sara Price and co-driver Saydiie Gray, who became the first all-female crew in the history of Desafo Ruta 40 to compete in the rally and secure a stage victory.
The event also marked Gray's competitive debut with the Defender Rally programme.
Sara Price said, "Argentina was a first for myself and for my co-driver, Saydiie Gray. It was tougher than I expected with a lot of treacherous terrain, but we made it. We didn't know what racing in Argentina in rally-raid would be like so it was a really cool experience, Saydiie and I both had a blast and we were put through it all. We had good days and bad days. In Stage 5, we were stuck in the dust for the first part, then in the second half we made up some time. Overall, it was a great experience, we’re super grateful to be here and I can’t wait to keep getting better and better."
Peterhansel secures second win of season
For Peterhansel and Metge, the victory marked their second win of the 2026 W2RC campaign.
The 14-time Dakar winner praised both the team's progress and the performance of the vehicle throughout the rally.
"Stage 5 was long and demanding for both me and Mika, but especially for the car. We had good competition between all three Defenders throughout the event, but ultimately we won the rally by nine minutes. The team has made significant progress with the car and it was great fun to drive. Argentina always has passionate fans and it was wonderful to be back racing here," Peterhansel said.
Baciuka, who battled illness during the rally, credited the team's mechanics and engineers for delivering a reliable package despite the demanding conditions.
Defender Dakar D7X-R showcases production-based capability
The rally once again highlighted the capability of the Defender Dakar D7X-R, which competes in the FIA's Stock category for production-based vehicles.
Derived from the road-going Defender OCTA, the race car retains the production model's core architecture, including its D7x body structure, driveline layout and transmission. However, it receives motorsport-specific modifications such as a wider track, revised suspension setup and enhanced cooling systems to withstand the rigours of rally-raid competition.
Notably, the race car's bodyshell is built on the same production line as customer Defender models, underlining the close relationship between the competition vehicle and its showroom counterpart.
Team principal hails performance
Defender Rally Team Principal Ian James described the Argentina outing as one of the toughest tests faced by the programme so far and praised both the crews and technical team.
"Argentina was undoubtedly a demanding rally, but the Defender Dakar D7X-R demonstrated exactly what it is capable of. Stephane and Mika's victory gives them their second win of the season, while all three crews delivered excellent performances. The fact that our Stock-class vehicles were able to match the pace of many T1+ Ultimate cars once again demonstrates the engineering strength and capability of Defender," James said.
Next stop: Morocco
Following its successful outing in Argentina, Defender Rally will now turn its attention to the next round of the World Rally-Raid Championship, the Rallye du Maroc, scheduled to take place in Morocco from September 28 to October 3, 2026.
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Defender Rally delivered a commanding performance at the 2026 Desafo Ruta 40 in Argentina, securing a clean sweep of the Stock category with all three Defender Dakar D7X-R entries reaching the finish and occupying the top three positions in class.
The five-day rally-raid event, which forms part of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), saw rally legend Stephane Peterhansel and co-driver Mika Metge claim victory in the Stock class with a cumulative time of 18 hours, 11 minutes and 12 seconds.
Teammates Rokas Baciuka and Oriol Vidal finished second with a total time of 18:20:30, while Sara Price and Saydiie Gray completed the podium in third place with 19:06:04.
Beyond dominating the production-based category, the Defender crews also delivered impressive performances against more specialised machinery. Peterhansel, Baciuska and Price finished 18th, 19th and 20th respectively in the overall Car category standings, competing alongside the more powerful T1+ Ultimate-class vehicles.
Strong finish in final stage
The rally concluded with a demanding 340km Stage 5, where Baciuska and Vidal emerged fastest among the Defender crews, completing the special stage in 2:53:05. Peterhansel and Metge followed in second, while Price and Gray secured third among the Defender entries.
Held across some of Argentina's most challenging terrain, the rally covered 1,523km of timed stages. Competitors raced from San Juan into the Mendoza region, traversing sections of the Andes mountain range before returning to San Juan for the finish.
The route featured dry riverbeds, high-altitude mountain passes and extensive sand dunes, providing a stern test for both crews and machinery.
Historic achievement for all-women crew
One of the standout stories of the event came from Sara Price and co-driver Saydiie Gray, who became the first all-female crew in the history of Desafo Ruta 40 to compete in the rally and secure a stage victory.
The event also marked Gray's competitive debut with the Defender Rally programme.
Sara Price said, "Argentina was a first for myself and for my co-driver, Saydiie Gray. It was tougher than I expected with a lot of treacherous terrain, but we made it. We didn't know what racing in Argentina in rally-raid would be like so it was a really cool experience, Saydiie and I both had a blast and we were put through it all. We had good days and bad days. In Stage 5, we were stuck in the dust for the first part, then in the second half we made up some time. Overall, it was a great experience, we’re super grateful to be here and I can’t wait to keep getting better and better."
Peterhansel secures second win of season
For Peterhansel and Metge, the victory marked their second win of the 2026 W2RC campaign.
The 14-time Dakar winner praised both the team's progress and the performance of the vehicle throughout the rally.
"Stage 5 was long and demanding for both me and Mika, but especially for the car. We had good competition between all three Defenders throughout the event, but ultimately we won the rally by nine minutes. The team has made significant progress with the car and it was great fun to drive. Argentina always has passionate fans and it was wonderful to be back racing here," Peterhansel said.
Baciuka, who battled illness during the rally, credited the team's mechanics and engineers for delivering a reliable package despite the demanding conditions.
Defender Dakar D7X-R showcases production-based capability
The rally once again highlighted the capability of the Defender Dakar D7X-R, which competes in the FIA's Stock category for production-based vehicles.
Derived from the road-going Defender OCTA, the race car retains the production model's core architecture, including its D7x body structure, driveline layout and transmission. However, it receives motorsport-specific modifications such as a wider track, revised suspension setup and enhanced cooling systems to withstand the rigours of rally-raid competition.
Notably, the race car's bodyshell is built on the same production line as customer Defender models, underlining the close relationship between the competition vehicle and its showroom counterpart.
Team principal hails performance
Defender Rally Team Principal Ian James described the Argentina outing as one of the toughest tests faced by the programme so far and praised both the crews and technical team.
"Argentina was undoubtedly a demanding rally, but the Defender Dakar D7X-R demonstrated exactly what it is capable of. Stephane and Mika's victory gives them their second win of the season, while all three crews delivered excellent performances. The fact that our Stock-class vehicles were able to match the pace of many T1+ Ultimate cars once again demonstrates the engineering strength and capability of Defender," James said.
Next stop: Morocco
Following its successful outing in Argentina, Defender Rally will now turn its attention to the next round of the World Rally-Raid Championship, the Rallye du Maroc, scheduled to take place in Morocco from September 28 to October 3, 2026.
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