JLR will compete on the 2026 Dakar Rally as a part of a wider multi-year partnership with the occasion.
The British firm will compete with its Defender model – now a model in its personal proper following a restructuring introduced in June that noticed the former-Jaguar Land Rover enterprise change into merely JLR, and former-Land Rover merchandise Defender, Discovery, and Vary Rover change into separate manufacturers in their very own proper, alongside Jaguar. Except for that, little is understood in regards to the challenge to date, with additional particulars set to be introduced through the 2025 Dakar Rally in January.
“Journey is within the very DNA of the Defender model, so we’re impressed to associate with Dakar – the final word motorsport journey – the place rivals actually embrace the inconceivable,” mentioned Defender managing director Mark Cameron. “Our partnership begins in 2025 when Defender will showcase its functionality and sturdiness because the official automobile of the occasion, however we’re already trying to the longer term and getting into a Defender Dakar works group from 2026.
“That Defender Dakar works program might be led by James Barclay, JLR Motorsport managing director, and I do know James and his group are impressed by the problem that lays forward.”
This system would be the second factory-backed motorsport effort from JLR, with its Jaguar model at present competing in Formulation E. It secured each the groups’ and producers’ titles final season, however narrowly missed out on a hat-trick after Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein beat Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy to the drivers’ crown on the last spherical in London in July.
“Anybody who loves motorsport could have a ardour for Dakar,” mentioned Barclay. “It’s the Everest of motorsport and an occasion the place success relies as a lot on human willpower within the hardest of situations as it’s the final check for automobile and engineering functionality. Bringing the world’s most succesful and iconic 4×4 to the world’s most iconic rally-raid is an ideal match.
“Our first time ever with a manufacturing facility entry into the Dakar means we’re proper originally of our journey. We’re aware of how a lot we now have to be taught and obtain earlier than taking the beginning in 2026, however we’re already properly below manner and searching ahead to the journey. We’ll share extra particulars of this thrilling program on the Dakar rally in 2025.”
JLR’s involvement with Dakar extends past competing within the contest, with Defender additionally supplying automobiles for use by officers and VIP media from subsequent yr’s occasion, whereas a fleet of specially-prepared Defender recce automobiles may even be supplied to officers for use for assist and to check out future rally routes.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Defender as the brand new official automobile associate of the Dakar,” mentioned Dakar rally director David Castera. “It’s an iconic model, current on all continents, that shares our ardour for journey, efficiency, and innovation.
“We’re additionally excited that Defender will accompany us all year long, offering automobiles for the organizing groups and for the route reconnaissance. Their reliability and robustness will assist us enhance our every day effectivity.”
Defender’s addition to the Dakar rally roster follows the addition manufacturing facility efforts from Ford and Romanian model Dacia, which can compete from subsequent yr with packages led by M-Sport and Prodrive respectively.
The 2025 Dakar rally begins on January 3 and would be the forty seventh working of the occasion, and fifth to happen in Saudi Arabia.
The rally raid crown jewel moved from Dakar in Senegal after the 2007 version, following political unrest in Mauritania. In 2008 the seven-stage Central European Rally counted because the Dakar, earlier than the occasion was correctly rebooted in Argentina and Chile a yr later. It remained in South America till 2019, earlier than setting within the Center East in 2020, the place it has remained since.
