Published: June 1, 2026 • 4:34 PM IST · Updated: June 1, 2026 • 10:28 PM ISTBy TheBriefWire Editorial Team
Key points
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 D7 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+...