Peterhansel Claims Top Honors
Veteran rally driver Stéphane Peterhansel, partnered with co-driver Mika Metge, claimed the Stock class victory with an overall time of 11:57:33 across the five-day event. Teammates Rokas Baciuška and co-driver Oriol Vidal followed closely behind in second place, finishing in 12:00:02 — a gap of just over two minutes. Sara Price and co-driver Sean Berriman rounded out the all-Defender podium with a third-place finish in 13:09:58.The final stage saw a reversal of fortunes at the front, with Baciuška and Vidal posting the fastest time of 1:07:39 to win Stage 5, followed by Price and Berriman, and then Peterhansel and Metge. Despite the last-stage charge, Baciuška fell just short of overtaking Peterhansel for the overall win.
Running With the Best
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Defender Rally's performance was how competitive the Stock class cars were against the Ultimate class machinery. The three Defender Dakar D7X-R vehicles covered a combined 6,600 km (4,101 miles) across routes traversing both Portugal and Spain, and in every stage, the Defender crews posted times comparable to those of Ultimate class competitors. In the overall Car category standings, Peterhansel placed 16th, Baciuška 17th, and Price 30th — remarkable results given the significant technical differences between Stock and Ultimate vehicles.Production DNA in a Race Car
The Defender Dakar D7X-R is derived from the production Defender OCTA, carrying the same D7x aluminum monocoque body architecture, transmission, and driveline layout. It features the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine found in the road-going OCTA, with modifications limited to meeting FIA regulations and handling the demands of W2RC competition — including enhanced cooling, new suspension, and a wider track.
The five days of racing put these machines through highly variable and punishing conditions, from mud and standing water to tight, tree-lined tracks across the Iberian peninsula.
Drivers React
Peterhansel praised the team's adaptability after the win, noting that conditions in Portugal were a sharp departure from the Dakar Rally. He highlighted how the engineering crew adjusted the car setup for each stage to suit the wetter, narrower terrain.Baciuška, despite narrowly missing the overall victory, was gracious in his assessment. He acknowledged that in short-format rallies, a single mistake can be decisive, and congratulated his teammate on the win while emphasizing the championship points earned heading into the next round.
Price called the final stage a highlight, describing her pace as strong and noting a competitive battle with Baciuška throughout the day.
Looking Ahead
Team Principal Ian James praised all three crews and underlined how the performance in Portugal's challenging terrain — with its tight tracks and unpredictable conditions — demonstrated the engineering, versatility, and durability of the Defender platform.Defender Rally's next challenge comes at the Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina, the third round of the World Rally-Raid Championship, scheduled for May 24–29, 2026. The team was supported throughout the Portuguese event by official partners Castrol, YETI, Bilstein, and Bell & Ross, along with official suppliers Shackleton and Alpinestars.
Source: Land Rover Media Newsroom, March 23, 2026