Out of a ride after Audi’s demise, Stéphane Peterhansel passed up doing the 2025 Dakar Rally to return to Dakar as part of the Africa Eco Race. Now, it looks like he might be heading back to the Dakar.

MARCA reported Wednesday that Peterhansel will join the new Land Rover factory program, which is set to debut at the 2026 Dakar Rally in the Stock category. It will mark a return of sort to his roots as a four-wheel racer, having finished seventh in the 1999 race—his first Dakar after switching from bikes—with a production Nissan Patrol.

Peterhansel is by far the most accomplished racer in Dakar Rally history, having won 14 times including eight in a car. However, he opted to enter the recently concluded Africa Eco Race over a 36th Dakar Rally, figuring he needed a break after Audi shuttered its rally division. Riding a Yamaha Ténéré 700, he entered the final four stages in a non-competitive capacity.

While no parties have formally confirmed the report, his addition to Land Rover’s roster would certainly be a major splash ahead of its debut. Land Rover intends to field two factory Defenders in the World Rally-Raid Championship from 2026 through 2028, with a third car joining them at Dakar each year.

Land Rover will be the second major manufacturer in the Stock class, joining Toyota. The category has struggled to draw numbers beyond Toyota Auto Body’s Land Cruisers due to high costs, which the FIA hopes to cap with new spending regulations. Nissan and Ford have also been linked to potential T2 entries.

Jaguar Land Rover has not announced any drivers so far. James Barclay, the managing director of JLR’s racing arm, told MARCA the driver lineup would be a mixture of experience and youth, with diversity and inclusion also playing factors.

Featured image credit: Julien Delfosse / DPPI