Nasser Al Attiyah has conquered his fifth Touareg, the second in a row, a figure that elevates him to the category of myth in the list of Dakar cars. Only Stéphane Peterhansel, Monsieur Dakar, who holds eight titles on four wheels, big words, remains ahead of the Qatari in this historical classification. Al Attiyah has managed the 2023 route and the pace of the competition better than anyone. His victory was forged in the first week, in which he achieved three stage victories and opened a gap in the general, while his rivals from Audi, led by Carlos Sainz and Peterhansel, had to head home due to various accidents, and Sébastien Loeb accumulated enough errors to make his future impossible, despite his seven partial wins, six of them consecutive, which They did not serve to intimidate the Arab pilot, who knew how to measure his enormous advantage without being disturbed.
Al Attiyah has been number one. And that’s how he refers to himself in one of his many bravados: “I’m the best.” No hesitation. It is the same character, between provocative and joking, that has led him to flirt with Audi: “If you want to win, you will have to sign me.” She will see For now, the sheikh of Qatar has triumphed with Toyota. Meanwhile, the German brand has been far from its goal of the podium. The start was promising. with initial victories for Mattias Ekström and Sainz, who led the race for two days, but the road was complicated by breakdowns and accidents, pure Dakar Rally, which struck down their chances. The Spaniard had two details of commitment and courage: when he finished a stage ten hours after his capsize, in the same event that eliminated Peterhansel, and when he turned around the helicopter in which he was evacuated. Even so, he couldn’t prevent the retreat. The Dakar has no mercy even for the greatest.