Dakar-winning D7X-R heads to Morocco with three crews as Defender looks to strengthen its position in the World Rally-Raid Championship
DEFENDER RALLY will make its competitive debut in Africa when the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship continues with Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc from 26 September to 3 October.
Ian James, Team Principal for Defender Rally, said: “We head into this next round with some strong results behind us and a clear understanding of what we need to deliver next. Every kilometre of racing is a valuable lesson for the Defender Rally team, especially in our debut season, and our focus remains on getting the best performance from the D7X-R and our crews.
“We know Rallye du Maroc will be a tough challenge, but we have insights from the successful three rounds we’ve completed, and confidence in our entire team. Let’s see what Morocco has in store.”
The fourth round of the 2026 championship will take the team into southern Morocco for a 2,838km route, including 1,656km of timed competitive stages.
Beginning in the coastal city of Agadir before heading inland towards Zagora, the rally will test crews across rocky mountain tracks, fast sand pistes and vast Saharan dunes. The route also includes demanding sections through the foothills of the Atlas Mountains and the Draa Valley.
Three-Car Challenge In Morocco
Defender will again field three D7X-R rally vehicles in the production-based Stock class following strong performances across the opening three rounds of its debut W2RC campaign.
Rokas Baciuška and navigator Oriol Vidal arrive in Morocco leading the Stock standings with 199 points after winning their class at the 2026 Dakar Rally.
Baciuška said: “Rallye du Maroc is always a challenge, but I’m really looking forward to competing in this race again, but this time in the Stock class. We know the stages will be tough, with long days in the car and some tricky terrain, but we’ll work hard to stay focused throughout.
“We’ve got a great team and a robust race car in the D7X-R, so the goal is to avoid mistakes, stay consistent, be fast and bring the car to the finish line.”
They will be joined by Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge, who sit second in the standings with 170 points.
Morocco is familiar territory for Peterhansel, whose long and successful rally-raid career includes major achievements on both motorcycles and in four-wheeled competition.
“It’s special to be racing in Morocco again, especially after so much success in my motorbiking days,” Peterhansel said. “The desert here demands a lot from a driver, a navigator, and a race car, but we have the team and the preparation required, and a super capable car. I’m excited to see what Defender Rally can achieve.”
Price Reunited With Berriman
Sara Price will return to the D7X-R alongside Sean Berriman, reuniting the partnership that competed together at the 2026 Dakar Rally and the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal.
Price enters the event with 164 points, while Berriman has 127, as the crew looks to build its pace and secure another strong finish in Defender’s first African event.
Price said: “I’m so excited to be racing with Sean again and to be back at Rallye Du Maroc, this time competing in Stock. Every rally-raid race is a new challenge – you must adapt quickly and stay focused, but we’ve put so much work in throughout the season and I’m excited to see what the D7X-R can tackle in this desert.
“The aim is to build our pace, put ourselves in a strong position each day and most importantly, bring the car to the finish.”
Built From The Defender OCTA
The Defender D7X-R is based on the road-going Defender OCTA and retains its transmission, D7x body architecture and driveline under the FIA regulations governing the Stock category.
Its bodyshell is produced on the same manufacturing line in Nitra, Slovakia, as road-going Defenders, although the competition version receives bespoke suspension, a wider track and enhanced cooling systems to withstand the extreme demands of rally-raid competition.
The Dakar-winning Defender has already demonstrated its pace beyond the Stock field, recording overall stage times among vehicles competing in the faster Ultimate class at Rally-Raid Portugal and Argentina’s Desafío Ruta 40.
Rallye du Maroc is the fourth round of the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship, with Defender aiming to strengthen its position at the top of the Stock standings.
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