Stéphane Peterhansel
Stéphane Peterhansel | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 6, 1965 France |
| Occupation(s) | Rally competitor, motorcyclist |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Known for | Record 14 Dakar Rally wins |
Stéphane Peterhansel (born 6 August 1965) is a French rally competitor renowned for holding the record with 14 victories in the Dakar Rally. He is presently a driver for Team Audi Sport.
Biography
Peterhansel made his Dakar Rally debut in 1988 competing on a motorcycle with Yamaha, achieving six wins between 1991 and 1998. He switched to the car division in 1999, joining the factory Mitsubishi squad in 2003 and claiming titles in 2004, 2005, and 2007. Driving an X-Raid-prepared Mini Countryman in 2012 and 2013, he secured further victories, becoming the most decorated participant in Dakar history. In 2014, he finished as runner-up after team strategy favored his teammate Nani Roma.
In 2015, Peterhansel signed with Peugeot as the manufacturer returned to the Dakar Rally after a lengthy absence, earning his 12th and 13th wins in the following years of 2016 and 2017. From 1999 through 2018, his co-driver was Jean-Paul Cottret.
Beyond Dakar, he took part in the Race of Champions events in 2005 and 2006 and is a two-time champion of the World Enduro. In 2018, he competed in the UTV category at the Rallye du Maroc using a Yamaha YXZ alongside his spouse Andrea Mayer.
Starting with the 2018 Baja Portalegre 500, Peterhansel exchanged co-drivers with Cyril Despres; he began partnering with David Castera while Cottret became Despres’ navigator.
Dakar Rally
| Year | Category | Vehicle | Final Result | Stages Won | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Motorbike | Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Yamaha | 18th | 1 | |
| 1989 | 4th | 6 | |||
| 1990 | DSQ | 1 | |||
| 1991 | 1st | 1 | |||
| 1992 | 1st | 4 | |||
| 1993 | 1st | 3 | |||
| 1994 | Did not participate | ||||
| 1995 | Motorbike | Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Yamaha | 1st | 4 | |
| 1996 | DNF | 3 | |||
| 1997 | 1st | 7 | |||
| 1998 | 1st | 3 | |||
| 1999 | Cars | Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Nissan | 7th | 0 | |
| 2000 | Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Mega | 2nd | 2 | ||
| 2001 | Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Nissan | 12th | 0 | ||
| 2002 | DNF | 1 | |||
Additional Achievements
| Year | Competition |
|---|---|
| 1992 | Paris-Moscow-Beijing Rally – Motorcycle category |
| 1996 | UAE Desert Challenge – Motorcycle division |
| 1998 | 24 Hours of Chamonix endurance race |
| 2002 | Tunisia Rally event |
| UAE Desert Challenge – Car category | |
| 2003 | UAE Desert Challenge – Car division |
| 2004 | Tunisia Rally competition |
| Morocco Rally contest | |
| 2005 | UAE Desert Challenge – Car class |
| 2007 | UAE Desert Challenge – Car category |
| 2019 | Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – Car division |
| FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies – Car classification |
External links
- Athlete profile on the Monster Energy official site