Stéphane Peterhansel

Stéphane Peterhansel (born 6 August 1965) is a rally driver from France. He holds the record for wins at the Dakar Rally, with 14 victories. He currently drives for Land Rover Defender Rally Team.

Biography Peterhansel made his Paris to Dakar Rally debut in 1988 in the motorcycle category for Yamaha, later winning the event in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 1998. He switched to the car category for 1999, joining the works Mitsubishi in 2003. He went on to win the event for the Japanese marque in 2004, 2005 and 2007. He took his 10th victory in 2012 driving an X-Raid prepared Mini Countryman and his 11th in 2013 for the same team, making him the most successful competitor in the history of the Dakar Rally. In 2014 he was leading the Dakar in the final stage, but was controversially ordered to allow his team-mate, Nani Roma, to overtake and win - leaving himself to finish in second place. In 2015 he joined Peugeot as the manufacturer returned to compete in the Dakar for the first time since 1990. He took his 12th and 13th Dakar victory in 2016 and 2017. He competed in the Race of Champions in 2005 and 2006 and is also a two-time World Enduro Champion. From 1999 to 2018, his Dakar co-driver was Jean-Paul Cottret.

He also competed in the 2018 Rallye du Maroc in the UTV category with a Yamaha YXZ with his wife Andrea Mayer as his co-driver.

Since the 2018 Baja Portalegre 500, Peterhansel and Cyril Despres have swapped their co-drivers, making David Castera as Peterhansel's co-driver and Cottret the co-driver for Despres.

Touring Car Racing

In 2002, he tried his luck in the French Touring Car Championship in a Nissan Primera. He peaked with 6th at Dijon.

Dakar Rally

Other honours