Spain’s former world rally champion Carlos Sainz won the Dakar Rally for the first time on Saturday after holding off a late challenge from Volkswagen teammate Nasser al-Attiyah of Qatar.
Al-Attiyah had cut Sainz’s lead to two minutes 48 seconds after a penultimate stage that saw the two, free to race each other, collide in the heat of battle and exchange angry words.
The Qatari was again fastest in the final 206km stage from San Rafael to Buenos Aires but could not overhaul the double rally world champion, who had accused him on Friday of not playing fair.
PHOTO: EPA
Sainz, who had led from stage five, won with a lead of two minutes 12 seconds — equal to a mere 3.73km over 4,806km of racing.
“I won in Europe, in Spain and today in the Dakar,” he said. “I am really happy and relieved. It was a tough and daily fight against my teammate. I knew it would be like that.”
Al-Attiyah congratulated his teammate: “What matters is that Volkswagen won. He did his job, I tried to do mine. Next year I’ll win.”
France’s Guerlain Chicherit was third in a BMW, while NASCAR driver Robby Gordon of the US was eighth.
Frenchman Cyril Despres took his third Dakar crown in the motorcycle category on a KTM.
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