Land Rover will have two heavyweights for its factory rally raid debut. On Wednesday, the marque officially announced Stéphane Peterhansel and Rokas Baciuška have been signed to drive the new Defender Dakar D7X‑R in the Stock class at the 2026 Dakar Rally.

A third driver for Dakar was not immediately revealed. The team will field two cars for the rest of the World Rally-Raid Championship following Dakar.

Peterhansel had been linked to Land Rover since January, when he eschewed Dakar in favor of riding a bike at the Africa Eco Race. He is a 14-time Dakar winner, eight of which came on four wheels, and was last with Audi until that program shut down following the 2024 edition.

After the Carta Rallye, where he raced his Yamaha Ténéré 700 on the final two stages, Peterhansel remained in Morocco for testing with Land Rover.

“The World Rally‑Raid Championship is the pinnacle of rallying and off‑road ctcfompetition, whilst Defender is an iconic and capable 4×4, so for me it’s the perfect match,” said Peterhansel. “The team is committed to the championship and has a passion to win. I’m looking forward to taking on this new challenge and together I hope we can take Defender to the top step of the podium.

“Despite competing in many Dakar Rallies before, both on bike and in cars, I’m looking forward to entering the Stock category, and I’m excited to take it head on with this team. It’s been amazing to get behind the wheel of the Defender D7X‑R prototype for the first time in Morocco. Whilst it’s early days, our testing is moving in a positive direction for our preparation for our Dakar Rally debut in 2026.”

Baciuška currently drives a Toyota Hilux Overdrive in the Ultimate class, moving up full time for 2025 after winning back-to-back titles in the SSV and Challenger categories. By joining Land Rover for 2026, he will have competed in all four FIA categories with a W2RC trophy (Truck, the fifth FIA class, does not award one).

“Having the legendary Defender join the FIA World Rally‑Raid Championship and Dakar Rally is an historic moment in motorsport and for the brand, and I’m looking forward to being an integral part of that story,” Baciuška stated.

“Defender is an incredible brand synonymous with being virtually unstoppable and embracing the impossible, which is why I am so proud to be a part of this program. I can’t wait to begin my journey with the team and start testing the Defender D7X‑R for the first time in anticipation of the 2026 Dakar Rally.”

The Defender D7X‑R is a rally raid version of the Land Rover Defender OCTA. It uses a 4.4-liter twin turbo V8 engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and is built atop an aluminum monocoque D7x platform.

Land Rover will compete in the W2RC for three years from 2026 to 2028, taking advantage of new regulations for the Stock class intended to encourage manufacturer participation besides Toyota.

“Competing in the Dakar Rally and W2RC will be the ultimate proving ground for Defender’s capability, durability and performance and it won’t be long until our competition Defender D7X‑R will be put through its paces on the world stage,” commented Defender managing director Mark Cameron.