As prototype testing of the Defender Dakar D7X-R continues, along with a public debut at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, Defender Rally has announced Castrol as the ‘Official Fluids Partner’ for its entry to the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).
Castrol is one of the world’s leading lubricant brands and has a rich history in motorsport. Castrol now joins Defender Rally supporting the team’s preparation for competing in the Stock category for production-based vehicles in the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship starting with the Dakar Rally in January.
Castrol – whose products are already ‘first-fill’ on production Defenders – will supply all lubricants and greases for the Defender D7X-R competition vehicles in a partnership that will continually work to develop new technical innovations.
The World Rally-Raid Championship pushes vehicles to the limit, making it the perfect environment for testing, proving and learning. Castrol’s cutting-edge lubricants will be put to the test in the harshest environments, with Defenders racing hundreds of miles per day through the toughest terrains and extreme temperatures. From the 48-hour chrono stage of the Dakar Rally to the gruelling landscapes of Portugal, Argentina, Morocco and Abu Dhabi in the remaining rounds, Castrol will help to keep the competition cars at peak performance.
Whilst performance is prioritised, both Defender Rally and Castrol are keen to maintain and develop road to rally technical knowledge transfer and vice-versa.
Mark Cameron, Managing Director of Defender, said: ” Castrol is not only a trusted supplier for our production Defenders, but has years of experience in working with top-performing motorsport teams. To now use the same Castrol lubricants in our Defender D7X-R rally cars further strengthens the authenticity of us competing in the World Rally Raid Championship’s Stock category for production-based cars.
“There’s no better event than the Dakar Rally to put Defender to the test, with its treacherous terrain, high temperatures and mammoth distances, and with Castrol now on-board, we’ll be able to jointly test and develop the highest performance lubricants. The Defender Rally team are looking forward to working with Castrol on the W2RC programme and continuing our longstanding relationship with this new activity.”
