The top of the Dakar leaderboard changed dramatically over stages three and four, as early leader Nasser Al-Attiyah retired and problems hit Peugeot’s star duo.
Reigning victor Stephané Peterhansel returned to form to take the stage three win ahead of Carlos Sainz and Sebastien Loeb in a Peugeot 1-2-3. That third-place finish ensured Loeb retained his lead, with Sainz second and Peterhansel third.
The Spaniard’s Dakar lasted barely a day longer, crashing out on Stage four. Loeb fared only slightly better, engine issues costing him 30 minutes. Cyril Despres handed Peugeot another stage victory, though, to assume the overall lead, beating MINI’s Mikko Hirvonen. Peterhansel couldn’t capitalise on his team-mates’ misfortune, himself losing 15 minutes after a wrong turn but he recovered enough for second in the overall standings.
After all the pre-race noise, the 2023 Las Vegas GP turned out to be a brilliant race on an exciting track – a 2024 repeat could seal its reputation
The stewards long overdue reaction to Max Verstappen's wild driving at the 2024 Mexican GP is too little, too late
2024 US GP: Disappointing starts, cryptic messages and too much run-off – here's what was going up and down in the Lone Star State
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem again gets worked up about an F1 non-issue, but now drivers are angrier than ever – it all felt quite familiar at the 2024 Singapore GP