To win the Dakar Rally is an amazing accomplishment. To win it more than once takes real determination. It is one of the toughest motorsports events in the world, taking a toll on both man and machine. Here are the top 5 most successful Dakar Rally winners in the race’s history.
- Jutta Kleinschmidt
Wins: 1
In the 1990s, Kleinschmidt joined the Dakar Rally, riding the iconic BMW cars and a KTM bike, later successfully switching to cars. Driving for Mitsubishi, she took overall victory in 2001.
At 58, she is now taking part in the inaugural season of the Extreme E off-road racing series. She is still the only woman to have won the Dakar and the only German to have won the event in the cars category.
- Pierre Lartigue
Wins: 3
Between 1994 and 1996, Lartigue won three events in a row while driving for Citroen. After leaving Citroen, he returned driving a protruck but retired from both events he entered. In the Dakar Rally, the French driver famously became only the second person to accomplish a hat-trick, after Ari Vatanen.
- Nasser Al-Attiyah
Wins: 3
Nasser Al-Attiyah, who won a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics for skeet shooting, has been a reliable competitor of the Dakar since 2004. This all-or-none type of driver, who has retired many times, has won 3 events. He has also placed 2nd in four other events. The fact that he has won at least one stage in every competition since 2007 adds to the impressive record.
- Ari Vatanen
Wins: 4
One of the few WRC drivers to successfully moonlight in Rally Raid events, the Flying Finn has actually achieved far greater success in the Dakar, winning the event four times, three times with Peugeot and once with Citroen.
- Stéphane Peterhansel
Wins: 14
A legend of rally racing, Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel has won the Dakar Rally an incredible 14 times ‒ eight times in a car and six times on a motorcycle. His illustrious wins span three decades, winning his first Dakar stage in 1988. He has proudly represented several automotive names throughout his career, including Yamaha, Nissan, Mitsubishi, BMW, Mini and Peugeot.
