Dakar: Qatari Nasser al-Attiyah wins fifth auto title

The 52 -year -old pilot was never worried during this edition despite the presence in the Hybrid Audi race and their supposed surpass.

Mo12345lemonde with AFP

and five for Qatari Nasser al-Attiyah (Toyota). The pilot, holding the title, won his fifth Rallye-Raid Dakar in Auto, after 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2022, at the end of the 14 ^{e and last stage in Dammam (Saudi Arabia), Sunday January 15.}

Triple stage winner, he is over an hour the French Sébastien Loeb (Prodrive) and the young Brazilian Lucas Moraes (Toyota). At the top since the third stage of the rally-raid left on December 31 on the shores of the Red Sea near Yanbu, the 52-year-old pilot counted from 20 minutes ahead of Stéphane Peterhansel (Audi) and 33 on that of Spaniard Carlos Sainz.

Then he saw a boulevard open with the abandonment of these two main rivals, respectively on January 6 and 10. The rest of the race was only controlled and controlled for him, while management.

In pairs with the French co-pilot Mathieu Baumel, for whom it is the fourth coronation in the legendary rally-raid, al-attiyah, Olympic medalist in the skeet test (the official name of the ball-trap at the Olympic Games ), has never been worried during this edition despite the shadow of the Audi Hybrids and their supposed surpass.

Victory in the 14 ^e and last step returned to the French Guerlain Chicherit (Prodrive), Sunday, very far in the general classification. A general classification in which Sébastien Loeb finished second for the third time after the 2017 editions on Peugeot and 2022 already on Prodrive. The French pilot nevertheless marked the history of the Dakar during this edition by tearing six consecutive stage victories, a first in the history of the event. 2> second coronation for Kevin Benavides Kevin Benavides celebrates his victory over the Dakar, January 15, 2023. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters > Motorcycle, the scenario was much more breathless and it was the Argentinian Kevin Benavides, after 15 days of fierce battle, who finally led to the thread during the last stage, the Australian Toby Price. He won for the second time. On arrival Sunday in Dammam after almost 45 hours of racing and more than 8,000 km traveled in the ultra-conservative kingdom, Benavides finally preceded the Australian of 43 seconds.

“It’s incredible. It’s a dream, it’s my second victory in the Dakar. This edition was incredible. We fought a lot with Toby [Price] and Skyler [Howes]. Very tight “enjoyed the Argentinian when the last stage arrives. As in car, Benavides also benefited from the abandonment of serious competitors to the final victory at the head of which the British Sam Sunderland, holding the title, had to give up the rest of a fall, from the first step.

This 45 e edition of the emblematic rally-raid, renowned for being the most difficult in the world, was even longer than the previous year: a prologue and 14 stages in the rocks, The sand and the dunes, including one, the 7 ^{e , canceled for motorcycles.}