For ten years “Monsieur Dakar”, it’s him! Although he cannot compete with Stéphane Peterhansel’s incredible track record in the event (six victories in motorcycles, eight in cars), Nasser al-Attiyah is indeed the current reference in rally-raid. The Qatari (52) indeed won, this Sunday in Dammam, for the fourth time in ten editions (2015, 2019, 2022 and 2023), against three to the French (2016, 2017, 2021). And apart from a retirement in 2017, he has always been on the podium since 2014.
With his success in 2011, Al-Attiyah’s tally now boasts five Dakar victories, allowing him to overtake legend Ari Vatanen. As in 2019 and last year, it was at the wheel of a Toyota Hilux that he won, after his first successes with Volkswagen (2011) and Mini (2015). Winner of two stages this year, the Qatari driver brings his total to 45 and is close to the scores of Peterhansel (48) and Vatanen (50).
“We just finished and I’m so happy, says Al-Attiyah. It was a difficult Dakar for everyone. It’s crazy to be able to defend your title. I am very happy to win five times, and Matthieu (Baumel, his co-pilot) four times… sorry, Matthew! I respect Ari enormously, he is still my idol. I always want to win more and more, now I want to defend my title of world champion. We didn’t have to push like crazy. We managed to get through the second week and win the Dakar at the end, that’s the most important thing. »
After two weeks and nearly 4,700 km of specials, Nasser al-Attiyah and Frenchman Matthieu Baumel, his co-driver since 2015, are ahead of the crew formed by Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin (Hunter BRX-Prodrive) by 1h20’49 ”. Co-driven by the German Timo Gottschalk, former Al-Attiyah navigator, the surprising Brazilian Lucas Moraes, also on a Toyota, completes the final podium for his first participation in the biggest rally-raid (at 1h38′ 31”) .
A perfect copy
Authors of a flawless performance and spared from mechanical problems, Al-Attiyah and Baumel produced a perfect copy. Leaders on the evening of the third stage, the duo saw their most serious rivals (Loeb, Peterhansel, Sainz) slowed down or stopped by mechanical problems or accidents. With more than an hour ahead of their closest pursuers at the end of the sixth stage, the two men then contented themselves with managing their enormous lead, without taking any risks, leaving Sébastien Loeb to chain the stage victories (seven including six in a row, a Dakar record).
On the podium for the fourth time in seven participations in the Dakar, the Alsatian made a magnificent comeback (he was 31st after two stages due to multiple punctures) but again missed out on victory. “After the start of the rally we had, we couldn’t have hoped for better than that, he reacted. Anyway, on a regular basis, Nasser was unplayable, he had a good race, he made no mistakes. We have to be content with what we have, we made a good comeback, a great second part of the rally, it’s not so bad. »
Winners of the last special, Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winocq (Hunter GCK-Prodrive) finished in tenth place. Alexandre Giroud won in the Quads category, like last year.