Defender Rally heads to Desafio Ruta 40 with historic female pairing

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Defender Rally has now reached one of the toughest phases of its 2026 season. The team is currently in Argentina for the famous Desafio Ruta 40, which is the third round of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. Apart from the tough terrains and the championship battle, this particular rally also comes as a significant moment for the British off-road brand. It is because the Defender Rally has debuted the first official all-female crew in the event’s history since the rally began in 2010.

Strong momentum so far

The six-day rally, running from May 24 to 29, will see Defender continue its campaign in the Stock category with three competition cars. The team already has strong momentum on its side after impressive performances at the Dakar Rally and the Portugal round earlier this season.

So far, Defender Rally’s 2026 campaign has been highly competitive. Lithuanian driver Rokas Baciuska and co-driver Oriol Vidal currently lead the Stock class standings with 153 points. Sara Price is second in the championship with 127 points, while rally legend Stephane Peterhansel and navigator Mika Metge sit third with 118 points.

Sara Price and Saydiie Gray in focus

Besides that, a lot of attention in Argentina will be on American racer Sara Price and navigator Saydiie Gray, the team’s first-ever all-female crew. Sara has already raced for Defender Rally this season, but this will be the first event for 19-year-old Saydiie Gray with the team.

The two already know each other well from off-road racing. Back in 2023, Sara and Saydiie competed together at the NORRA 1000 endurance race in Baja, Mexico, where they secured an overall win.

Ahead of the rally, Saydiie described the opportunity as a huge moment in her career. She also said having someone familiar alongside her makes the challenge even more exciting. Sara Price said she was happy to be back in the Defender Dakar D7X-R and believes their previous racing experience together will help them tackle the demanding stages in Argentina.

Argentina’s brutal terrain set to test crews

Speaking of the Desafio Ruta 40, it is widely seen as one of the hardest rallies on the W2RC calendar. The event takes place in Argentina’s Cuyo region and stretches across more than 2,700 km, out of which 1,699 km are timed stages. The route is known for its unpredictable terrain.

Drivers have to deal with loose gravel, rocky patches and huge sand dunes across long days of racing. One of the biggest challenges is the El Nihuil dunes, which are made up of deep volcanic sand and are known to test both drivers and machines to the limit.

Strong start for Defender Rally in Argentina

Defender Rally has made a solid start to the Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina, with all three Defender Dakar D7X-R entries finishing Stage 1 inside the top three positions in the Stock class. Stephane Peterhansel and Mika Metge led the way after completing the demanding 340 km San Juan stage in 04:03:07. Team-mates Rokas Baciuska and Oriol Vidal followed just 10 seconds behind, while Sara Price and Saydiie Gray finished third, only 35 seconds off the lead. The stage featured fast salt flats, narrow canyons and heavy dust, making visibility and navigation extremely difficult.

Inside the rally-ready Defender Dakar D7X-R

For Defender Rally, the Argentina round is another big test for the Defender Dakar D7X-R. The competition SUV is based on the Defender OCTA and races in the FIA’s Stock category for production-based vehicles.

What makes the D7X-R interesting is how closely it still relates to the road-going Defender. Unlike full prototype rally cars, this SUV continues to use the same D7x aluminium body structure, transmission setup and driveline layout as the standard Defender OCTA. Of course, several changes have been made for rally duty. The SUV gets upgraded suspension, improved cooling systems and a wider stance to handle rough terrain at high speeds.

Power comes from the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that also powers the Defender OCTA.

Defender Rally builds momentum after Dakar success

Defender Rally has already made a strong impression in its first full W2RC season. Earlier this year, the team grabbed a Stock class win at the Dakar Rally during its debut outing itself. That result immediately put Defender Rally in the spotlight.

Ian James, Team Principal of Defender Rally, said the team is looking forward to another tough challenge after the positive result in Portugal. He also said the terrain in Argentina reminds many people of the old South American Dakar days.

Last year, Defender became the official vehicle partner for the Dakar Rally and supplied support vehicles for race officials and media crews. From 2026, the brand officially stepped into the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship with a dedicated three-year factory programme.