“If I were Carlos Sainz, I would retire after this win.”

Andto Dakar Rally He doesn't even “respect” his mythology. Stefan Peterhansel, the driver with the most wins (so far) in the toughest rally on the planet had an extremely tough version. Not just because He lost his options too soon, at the 48-hour stage, and for a ridiculous problem. But what made matters worse was that in the last stage he suffered from A Engine broken In his Audi car. This could have been the end of a career that made him particularly legendary… but Mr. Dakar spoke with Marca and confirmed… It has not yet decided to withdraw (Even though everything indicates that it will be like this)

Question: The victory belonged to Sainz, but it belongs to the entire team…

a: definitely. Carlos really had a perfect race. He was very consistent, with only one small error. For us, after suffering from various problems… It was impossible to achieve a good result. So the only thing we can do is Help you achieve victory. Stay behind Carlos in case he has mechanical problems. On the one hand, I'm very happy for him because he did a great job. He is a real fighter. We know it gets harder every year, but he keeps fighting. Still at a high level. This year in particular, his race was clean. So… very happy for him… but a little disappointed with my result.

I'm happy for Carlos. He is a real fighter. We know it gets harder every year, but he keeps fighting, even at the highest levels

Stephane Peterhansel, Audi driver

Q: What happened to the cat?

a: It was a mechanical issue and not particularly complex considering the complexity of the car. There are a lot of sophisticated systems out there…but the cat is not. We had a lot of problems throughout the year, we solved them, we put a lot of effort into being perfect…and we had Problem with a part that never broke and is the same part on the Mini. I don't know what happened, but it was completely destroyed. When we were trying to change the tire, all the oil exploded. It's something that never happened. In fact, we still don't understand it. It killed our race because we lost three hours and from then on, our race was over.

Q: Luck plays the same role for amateurs as it does for legend…

a: Yes, but we know that sometimes, when you are a successful pilot, we think that nothing will happen to us. If a small problem arises, we overcome it. but This year, the planets were simply not in our favor.. We had a good strategy from day one. We started first, then wasted a lot of time and were no longer on track. When we pressed We had speed, and the car ran easily, but it was a small problem that caused me to lose a lot of time. Three final hours for final classification.

Question: Are you particularly upset that it might be your last Dakar?

a: Honestly… I don't know yet. I haven't decided on it. before I want to know what the possibilities are there Opens.

I haven't made a decision about my future yet. First I want to know what are the open possibilities

Stephane Peterhansel, Audi driver

s: Carlos's success is also part of you, of Matias, of everyone who worked with that car…

a: definitely. When this started three years ago, no one, including us, thought we would fight to victory. It was not entirely clear whether this race was suitable for electric propulsion. In the first year we saw that the electric part (engine, hybrid system, battery) worked. And in the second we made a mistake We jumped into the sand dunes, Carlos and I. but In 2024…it was clear that everything was ready. The car was really good. We've seen that Carlos didn't have a single problemNeither electronic nor of any kind. It took time, yes. Three years, that's a lot. but A technology of this complexity has finally worked. Which is nice because it was very brave of Audi to try something like this. Finally, with Carlos winning, it was a happy ending.

Question: People in Spain expressed their great appreciation for this gesture that you were willing to help Carlos, a hero like you…

a: I have been a driver many times, in cars or motorcycles, and When necessary, my teammates helped me. I knew that if I got into trouble, I could get out. People love Nani Roma, Cyril Despres also David Castera They have been with me for whole stages, like my shadow. It's team spirit. I did it with great pleasure. sincerely, I love working with Carlos. We've been on the same team for eight or nine years and we respect each other a lot. He is an exemplary professional and always leads the team. It is my pleasure and honor to help you, and I'm proud that I did. Logically, I would rather fight to win, but I had no choice.

Q: Imagine that Carlos asks you tomorrow what he should do: should he continue or should he retire victoriously, at the top…

a: My dream was to end up winning. Obviously this year that will not be possible. If I were Carlos SainzBut with the thought of Peterhansel, I I will retire After this victory. Because after all, he's 61 years old. I don't know how many more Dakars he can do, although he's still fast. It is not easy to achieve victories. This is also from the 1960s, with Audi technology… If I were in your position, I will retire after Dakar.

Helping Carlos has been a pleasure and an honor, and I'm proud to have done so

Stephane Peterhansel, Audi driver

Question: You said you haven't decided on your future yet, but for example, would you like to be part of the Dakar organization in the long term? I'm sure David offers that…

a: It's complicated… because The best job in the world is to be a pilot. This is what I like to do most. When I resign… why don't I help the team with my experience? I don't know in the organization, but a few years ago it was a similar situation for me, I'm not sure what I would do. I don't want to make a hasty decision and then think, “Damn, maybe that wasn't the right decision.”. I prefer to wait a few days or weeks to see what I really want.

Question: Thank you, and I hope this is not our last interview…

a: Thanks.