Spanish driver Carlos Sainz (Peugeot) conquered the 40th edition of the Rally Dakar 2018 on Saturday, finishing the final stage, starting and ending in Córdoba (Argentina), with a lead of over 43 minutes ahead of Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota), who finished second on the podium.
The Madrid-born pilot celebrated his second Dakar victory of his career, standing on top of his Peugeot after completing the 120-kilometer timed 14th stage. "I'm very happy because it has been a very tough Dakar, since we took on the challenge four years ago with Peugeot, we had worked very hard with the car to develop it and I was missing this victory," said Sainz.
Carlos Sainz won the Dakar again after previously winning it in 2010 driving a Volkswagen, and after five consecutive withdrawals in previous years due to breakdowns or accidents that left him out of the race.
"It's difficult to go slow, going slowly is complicated. In the end, we went with a bit of rhythm to avoid making mistakes. Now it's time to go home, talk to my family about it, and we'll see. For now, we're going to enjoy the victory," he concluded.
Trivia: Sainz's victory in this Dakar allows the French brand Peugeot to bid farewell to the race with a triumph after announcing that it will no longer participate in the rally next year.
