The nickname “Monsieur Dakar” suits the multiple record holder to a T. Stéphane Peterhansel won 14 editions of the rally, sometimes on a motorbike and sometimes in a car, between 1991 and 2021, and today he added a new record to his collection with his fiftieth car special, on par with Ari Vatanen.
Throughout his two ultra-prolific careers, the Frenchman has accumulated a total of 83 stage wins. He is also the joint record holder of the motorbike category together with Cyril Despres, with 33 apiece. The ultimate hunter is not one for statistics, but his performance today put smiles back on the faces of the Audi clan.
Peterhansel, a fast, confident driver behind the wheel of the RS Q e-Tron, can go back on the offensive, not least because his teammate Carlos Sainz is perched at the top of the leader board and the third Audi driver is also firing on all cylinders (sixth overall). Everything seems to be falling into place for the German maker.
