MOTORSPORT: Peugeot's Dakar hat-trick; Price's third podium

Peugeot is done with the Dakar after its third consecutive victory and its seventh in eight campaigns in the two-week rally, the world’s most demanding motorsport event.

Spanish legend Carlos Sainz and his compatriot co-driver Lucas Cruz delivered the latest success for the French manufacturer at Cordoba in Argentina on the weekend.

Toyota HiLuxes driven by Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and South African Giniel de Villiers filled the other podium spots after ‘Monsieur Dakar’ Stephane Peterhansel’s two big mistakes in the second week in another of the Peugeot 3008 DKR buggies cost him about three hours – “too much time if you want to win the Dakar”.

Australian Toby Price finished third in the motorcycle section on his factory KTM – his third podium in four starts in the gruelling event, including his historic 2016 victory. The only time he failed to finish was last year when he broke his left leg in the first week.

Fellow Australians Rod Faggettor on a Yamaha and debutant Scott Britnell on a privateer KTM finished 16th and 61st respectively, as Price’s Austrian teammate Matthias Walkner gave KTM its 17th straight win in the event.

This Dakar through Peru, Bolivia and Argentina was the toughest of the 10 held in South America and one of the most gruelling of all 40 – the previous 30 being held in Europe and Africa before terrorism fears prompted the move.

Peugeot’s latest success came in what it has said will be its final participation in the Dakar.

It will now concentrate on the FIA World Rallycross Championship, with nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb – the only one of its four Dakar drivers not to finish this year – competing in a 208 WRX.

Peugeot’s sights are also on the electric rallycross championship from 2020.

The French manufacturer was quick to associate its latest Dakar hat-trick with the commercial success of its 3008 SUV being voted ‘Car of the Year’ in 2017.

Its previous Dakar victories were in 1987-1990 with 205 and 405 T16 models and superstar Finnish drivers – three by Ari Vatanen, the other Juha Kankkunen.

Peugeot Sport chief Bruno Famin said the only mechanical problems for the two-wheel drive Pugs this time had been “minor gear selection issues” and Sainz and Cruz had “driven an absolutely incredible rally, overcoming every obstacle”.

It was the second Dakar win for Sainz – eight years after his first and lots of misfortune in the intervening period.

“It was a very difficult rally, probably been the most difficult Dakar that I’ve ever taken part in, even counting the ones in Africa,” said Sainz, who earlier won two WRC titles.

“The organisers gave us a truly challenging route, with so many incredibly difficult stages. Even the two stages right before the finish were unbelievable and Peru was also very tricky.”

Peugeot won seven of the 13 stages – Peterhansel three, Sainz two (of the first seven) and Loeb and another Frenchman, Cyril Depres, one each – and Toyota six, while X-Raid MINI made the top three on only one stage this year.

Poland’s Kuba Przygonski and Belgian Tom Colsoul made it to Cordoba in a MINI in fifth place overall, but more than two and three-quarter hours slower than Sainz and Cruz.

Sainz was almost 44 minutes ahead of Al-Attiyah, with de Villiers another 33 minutes back. Peterhansel was almost an hour and a half behind Sainz.

In the bikes, Price won two stages and had been poised to challenge for the lead before a navigational error early in the second week.

“From where I was 12 weeks ago with my [leg] injury it’s quite incredible to be here at the finish line and standing on the podium,” Price said in Cordoba.

“It’s not the step I would pick, but it’s not too bad all things considered.”

Argentinean Kevin Benavides on a Honda finished six minutes ahead of Price but 17 behind Walkner.

In the truck section, Russian Eduard Nikolaev eventually won his third Dakar easily for Team Kamaz after only one second separated him and Argentinean Eduard Nikolaev with two days to go before the latter’s retirement.

Chilean Ignacio Casale controlled the quads contest from start to finish as Yamahas took a clean sweep of that section.