LAND Rover’s Defender Dakar D7X-R made a strong first impression earlier this week, with Sara Price, Rokas Baciuška and Stéphane Peterhansel fielded in the Stock category, showcasing production-based vehicles designed to survive the extreme demands of the Dakar Rally. 

The team entered the event with high hopes, supported by new partners YETI and Bell & Ross, and built on production Defender OCTA architecture with a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine.

Against that backdrop, the team delivered an outstanding performance on Thursday’s Stage 5, the second leg of the Marathon stage, which forms one of the rally’s most grueling tests of endurance and vehicle durability. With no external assistance allowed overnight, crews had to repair and maintain their cars at the bivouac before tackling a 371-kilometre timed stage plus a 56-kilometre liaison section, moving east from AlUla to Ha’il across a mix of gravel tracks, sand, stony passages and valleys.

Marathon stage challenges

Preparations began early. Drivers packed away tents and finished breakfast before rolling out for the demanding stage. Baciuška and navigator Oriol Vidal, for example, worked overnight to replace a damaged right-rear knuckle following Stage 4, highlighting the self-reliant nature of the Marathon format.

The timed course combined fast open plains with technically tricky rock and sand sections, testing both driver skill and vehicle reliability. Despite the challenges, the Defender team maintained remarkable consistency.

Stage 5 results: Baciuška leads Stock class

Sara Price got off to her usual strong start in the Stock category, briefly leading the stage. Stéphane Peterhansel, just behind after the first 170 kilometres, and Baciuška in third held formation until around 330 kilometres, when Baciuška surged into the lead.

They crossed the line in four and a half hours, finishing 37 seconds ahead of Peterhansel and co-driver Michaël Metge – a margin of only 0.1 seconds per kilometre. Baciuška reflected on the effort: “Yesterday, we were lucky because we had a little bit of a problem with the car. We fixed it at the ‘bivouac’ – the Marathon Stage, with no service, you need to care about the car. Today, it was stoney with some fast parts also. It was tough actually without a shower; we smelt a bit! One more day tomorrow and then the rest day. In the second half of the rally next week, we will see how it will be.”

Peterhansel’s runner-up finish lifted the 14-time Dakar winner into second place in the Stock overall standings. Price completed the podium, making it a 1-2-3 sweep for the Defender Dakar team. Despite punctures, navigation errors and a 15-minute waypoint penalty, Price and co-driver Sean Berriman ended just over seven minutes behind Baciuška.

Team perspective and vehicle performance

“Today was a good mix, with some tricky parts on the fast section, on the rocky section,” Peterhansel said. “For the first time, there was some hesitation out there [with navigation]. But at the end, it’s a good team spirit with all the drivers from Defender. We are all together, really close, and this is the target: to try and bring the three cars to the end of the race.”

Price added: “The Marathon Stage was a successful one. We all made it back in one piece and we’re back early, so that’s a good thing. Going into the Marathon, we had a solid day with good pace. The car was in really good shape when we got to the overnight camp. We pitched our tents and had an OK sleep. 

“Today was really great until the end. One thing after another kept happening. It was a little bit of an emotional day for us at the end, just to have a bad day due to our fault. The vehicle was great but there were some navigation mistakes and flat tyres.”

Looking ahead: Stage 6 and the Rest Day

After reuniting with support crews in Ha’il, the team is preparing for Stage 6, which features 589 kilometres, including a 331-kilometre timed section to Riyadh. This marks the longest day of the 2026 Dakar, with significant sand dune challenges before crews enjoy the Rest Day on Saturday. 

The half-way point of the rally will test endurance and strategy, but the Defender Dakar team enters it with momentum, a clean sweep of Stock class stage wins, and Baciuška firmly in control of the category leaderboard.