MOTORSPORT: Peugeot hat-trick on Dakar

The two-wheel-drive Peugeots are dominating the four-wheel-drive X-Raid Minis in this year's Dakar Rally, winning all three days of competition so far in the two-week torture test in South America.

In the latest stage overnight, Australian time, it was Dakar record-holder Stephane Peterhansel at the top of the timesheet in his Peugeot 2008 DKR after fellow Frenchman and teammate Sebastien Loeb, the nine-time world rally champion making his Dakar debut, won the previous two days' competition.

Loeb was third this time, with Spanish great Carlos Sainz between the two Frenchmen – and only 27 seconds between the three of them after more than 400km of competition.

"Matador" Sainz turned in what was described as "a monster performance" at the end of the latest day's competition to be only 11 seconds slower than Peterhansel.

Mini's defending Dakar champion, Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar, was fourth and almost five minutes slower than Peterhansel, the man who has won the event 11 times in Africa and South America on two and four wheels.

Al-Attiyah admitted he "just can't keep up with the Peugeots", although he denied the French manufacturer a 1-2-3-4 finish for the day, with another former motorcycle star and Frenchman Cyril Depres fifth – 47 seconds behind the Qatari – in the fourth Mini.

It was the first leg of a two-day marathon stage on which competitors can do nothing more than change tyres and wash their machinery at the overnight stop.

After a 429km loop out of Jujuy and back in northern Argentina last night, the field tonight will front up for another 642km that will take it to Uyuni in south-west Bolivia.

The rally ends in Rosario, Argentina, on January 16.

Loeb still heads it overall, 4 minutes and 48 seconds ahead of Peterhansel, with Al-Attiyah third but now more than 11 minutes off the lead.

Less than 90 seconds behind Al-Attiyah is the Toyota Hilux driven by South African Leeroy Poulter, with Sainz up to fifth now after losing considerable time on the first completed stage (the first scheduled stage early Monday, Australian time, was cancelled because of floods after fierce storms).

Sixth outright is another Toyota Hilux driven by another South African, Giniel de Villiers, ahead of Finn Mikko Hirvonen, the four-time runner-up to Loeb in the WRC and driving a MINI on his Dakar debut, with Depres eighth – a little more than 16 minutes off the lead.

The Toyota Hilux of Czech-born Australian Peter Jerie and his Aussie navigator Dale Moscatt, another Dakar rookie, is 41st after the three days but still within two hours of the pacesetting Peugeots.

In the motorcycle division, Australian Toby Price is now seventh overall on his factory KTM, with three Hondas at the top of the classifications – the first of them ridden by Portugal's Paulo Goncalves after six minutes of penalties on his Spanish teammate Joan Barreda the past two days for going too fast in speed-limited areas.

Price, who won the first completed bike stage, was fifth in the latest day's action, while another Portuguese rider, Ruben Faria, gave the Hondas the most competition on his Husqvarna.

Meanwhile, Peterhansel's success overnight was the first time the man known as "Monsieur Dakar" had won a day's competition for Peugeot, which only returned to the event last year after four straight wins in 1987-1990.

The X-Raid Minis have won the past four years – in 2012-13 with Peterhansel the victorious driver, in 2014 with Spaniard Nani Roma, and last year Al-Attiyah.

"It's very good news," Peterhansel said of last night's breakthrough – albeit only on one stretch – with Peugeot.

"Our engines have been fine-tuned to work much better at altitude this year.

"It helps us drive properly – the car's well balanced.

"It's the first Dakar special [stage] I win for Peugeot – it's nice.

"We worked hard all year [preparing], but aren't too proud yet because we know we weren't able to carry out all the tests we wanted, and it's just the third day of racing.

"We had a good special, with no navigational mistakes and a high pace from the beginning. Our work is paying off."

Loeb, who has amazed Dakar veterans with his performance at his first outing in the event, admitted he had been "a tad too excited" at times last night.

"It was quite long, but not as intense as the previous stages," Loeb said.

"There were lots of pace changes, so it was hard to stay focused.

"I drove at a marathon pace despite not really being a marathon man.

"Navigation was a bit trickier [for co-driver Daniel Elena], but nothing too hard.

"We messed up a couple of times, failing to brake properly once or twice at crossroads where Daniel did his job but I was a tad too excited.

"We didn't miss any points. I even attacked in some places, whereas I took it easier in others."

MINI man Al-Attiyah said that trying to keep pace with the Peugeots "ain't easy".

"I did my best to attack, but you just can't keep up with the Peugeots," he said.

"You had to be careful, it's a marathon stage and you can't change anything apart from the tyres.

"You can wash the car, but you can't make mistakes.

"I tried to [follow Loeb], but there was no way I could. His car is really fast."