This is the day then: the 2025 Dakar Rally will start soon with the introduction in Bisha. Over the next two weeks, teams will compete over thousands of kilometers for glory in the toughest off-road race ever. For 2025, there will be a fleet of 20 Defenders operating as support cars at Dakar, before entering the event as a competition car in 2026. It was confirmed today that this entry is part of a much wider competition commitment, with the factory team set to compete in Each round of the FIA World Rally Raid Championship for three seasons starting next year.
Two defenders will compete in the new ‘Stocks’ class for the 2026, ’27 and ’28 races of the W2RC Championship. The works team will field two cars in each of the five rounds, with a third participating in Dakar only; While next year’s calendar is not yet available, the 2025 season includes the Dakar, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, South African Safari Rally, Rally of Portugal and Rally of Morocco, so expect a similar line-up when the Defenders take part. It’s the toughest rallies for the toughest cars, basically, although the Stock category understandably features production-based models – rather than more extreme stuff like the Ultimate T1+-spec Dacia Sandrider.
It’s the new regulations for 2026 that Land Rover believes suit the Defender 110: the Stock grade is “the perfect platform to showcase the ultimate capability and durability of the Defender”. Given the plethora of Defenders we see almost everywhere at the moment, it might be said that its capabilities don’t require any additional exposure, but race cars of all shapes and sizes are always impressive. It’s nice to see the motorsport team still making an effort heading into 2030 as well. There’s no word yet on any other W2RC Stock Championship entrants, although we have all of 2025 for those announcements. Toyota has a rich history in rally racing, for example.
“I have called the Dakar the Everest of motorsport,” said James Barclay, Managing Director of JLR Motorsport. “To be here today to once again witness the start of the preliminary stage reinforces the challenge we face. It will be an incredible adventure, both humanly and engineering-wise, and the team is already working hard to develop The Defender is in the new FIA W2RC rules for 2026 which will form such a competitive class. We have helped together with the FIA, ASO and other manufacturers to draft these new regulations, which represent a chapter “An exciting new development for the Dakar Rally, the W2RC and Rally Raid in general.” It seems there is more to follow. In addition to their role as support cars for 2025, the modified Defenders will serve as reconnaissance vehicles to plan the Dakar route over the next three years. Nothing if he doesn’t commit to the case then. We expect to see more of the Stock-spec Defender over the next few months. 364 days remaining..