Exclusive: Peterhansel reflects on Dakar success and looks to the future

35 participations, 83 stage wins and 14 overall victories in theDakar Rally. Stephane Peterhansel's list of honors is particularlylarge. The Frenchman first participated in 1988, then on amotorcycle. He would win six times on behalf of Yamaha and switchedto cars 10 years later, winning eight more times with Mitsubishi,Mini and Peugeot. In January 2024, Peterhansel will embark on his36th Dakar Rally. The 58-year-old driver will participate withAudi, which is taking part in the world's toughest rally with arevolutionary electric vehicle. But why does Peterhansel still getbutterflies in his stomach as the Dakar approaches? He explains inan exclusive interview with RacingNews365 . "There are a fewreasons for that," Peterhansel explains. "First of all, I have beeninvolved in motorsports since I was young, so I love action,adrenaline and speed. This has been the case since I first rode amotorcycle when I was eight years old. "But it's not just aboutadrenaline. It is also about where we ride the race, because we arevery lucky to be able to enter the most beautiful landscapes. Thedesert is a fantastic place with a special atmosphere. Motorsportsand the landscapes give me a lot of pleasure and passion. I lovethis work. There is no better work for me." Peterhansel switched tocars for safety reasons Peterhansel began his Dakar career on amotorcycle, but switched to cars after about 10 years. TheFrenchman explains how he came to that decision. "When I stoppedmotorcycling, I was very lucky. I didn't experience a majorincident. From my first Dakar on the bike, I already knew it wasvery dangerous. And I always try to be safe, so after tenparticipations and six wins, I thought it was time for a change. Ididn't want to take any more risks on the bike." "Furthermore, youare always alone as a motorcycle rider, so you never share emotionswith another person. If you got lost, it was pretty scary becauseyou were riding around alone. Moreover, so you celebrated a stagewin alone, too. It didn't get boring, but it was tough to alwaysride thousands of kilometers by yourself. I wanted to share theemotions with a navigator and I was always fascinated by cars. Myfather was a rally driver and so I found a race car veryinteresting." That doesn't mean Peterhansel has lost his passionfor motorcycles: "I don't ride as much as I used to, but it's stilla big passion of mine. I work small enduro races on motorcycles. Istarted in enduro before I rode Dakar and now I do it for fun. Forexample, three months ago, during a test with Audi in Morocco, mynavigator and I rode three hundred kilometers through the desert ona motorcycle." Did the Frenchman ever consider getting into a truckand completing the trilogy? "I did consider it once. Ten years agowe tested in the south of France with Gerard de Rooy. I found itinteresting, but if I can choose between a factory car and a truck,I prefer a top car. "Now I don't know. We have been very lucky,because I have been able to drive the best cars for 20 years. Thatstarted with Mitsubishi and Mini and now it's the same with Audi.When you get that opportunity, I think you have to take it." Whatis the greatest moment of his long career? "The first victory onthe bike, because it was a dream to drive this rally and to win....That was one of the best days of my life."