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DAKAR RALLY 2021.
TITLE SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED.
This January saw MINI triumph at the Dakar Rally for the second year in a row, bringing its total number of overall wins at the famous endurance rally to six.
Driver Stéphane Peterhansel and his co-driver Edouard Boulanger, both from France, drove to victory in a MINI John Cooper Works Buggy after 12 arduous stages through the Saudi Arabian desert, finishing with a lead of 14 minutes 51 seconds.
It was Peterhansel’s 14th overall win at Dakar, and his third for MINI following wins in 2012 and 2013. 2020 winners Carlos Sainz and his co-driver Victor Cruz, both Spanish, crossed the finish line in third place in their MINI JCW Buggy.
This year’s rally also saw a third MINI crew finish in the top ten. Vladimir Vasilyev (RUS) and Dmitry Tsyro (UKR) crossed the finish line in sixth place in a MINI JCW Rally. A total of eight MINI cars competed in the rally, six of which reached the finish line.
Peterhansel added another gong to his impressive Dakar record. He has now won the rally six times on a motorcycle and eight times in a car.
MINI won four consecutive rallies with the MINI ALL4 Racing between 2012 and 2015, and now for the second time in a row with the MINI JCW Buggy.
Stéphane Peterhansel:
“I’m over the moon with the win. The pressure was immense since we were leading the overall standings for much of the race. You can only lose in that situation. But I have to say, we drove almost a perfect Dakar without any major errors and once again that was the key to success. Things were perfect between Edouard and me, and I was delighted to have him sat next to me. He couldn’t have done anything better.”
Bernd Körber – Head of MINI:
“What a fantastic success for the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy, the X-raid team and in particular for Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger. Congratulations on winning the Dakar! Congratulations to Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz as well, who made it onto the podium again after their win in 2020. Second Dakar win in a row, sixth MINI victory since 2012 - everyone in the MINI family can be very proud of this record. In addition to the Buggy, the MINI John Cooper Works Rally with its four-wheel drive did a very good job once again. I’m happy for all the MINI entrants who took on the toughest endurance rally in the world and made it to the finish line. Unfortunately, this success is overshadowed by the tragic accident involving Pierre Cherpin, which affects us all deeply. We wish the relatives every strength.”
