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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. The six-day rally, running from May 24 to 29, will see Defender continue its campaign in the Stock category with three competition cars. 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. 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.
Because the Defender Rally has debuted the first official all-female crew in the event’s history since the rally began in 2010, it is.
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. 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.
Apart from the tough terrains and the championship battle, this particular rally also comes as a significant moment for the British off-road brand. 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. Ahead of the rally, Saydiie described the opportunity as a huge moment in her career. The stage featured fast salt flats, narrow canyons and heavy dust, making visibility and navigation extremely difficult. Defender Rally has already made a strong impression in its first full W2RC season. That result immediately put Defender Rally in the spotlight.
The team already has strong momentum on its side after impressive performances at the Dakar Rally and the Portugal round earlier this season. Earlier this year, the team grabbed a Stock class win at the Dakar Rally during its debut outing itself.
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. The Rallye du Maroc is scheduled to take place from September 28 to October 3, 2026.
Price said the terrain was tougher than expected throughout. Baciuska had a harder week. He dealt with illness midway through the competition but credited the mechanics and support crew for keeping the car running strong. She added that the rally gave both her and Gray important learning and confidence going into the next events.
Earlier reporting noted: Peterhansel described the final stage as especially demanding but was positive about the car and the team’s development through the rally. Earlier reporting noted: Following the successful Argentina campaign, Defender Rally will now head to Morocco for the next round of the World Rally-Raid Championship.