Stéphane Peterhansel: "It almost never goes smoothly the first year"

Dakar 2026 | Stage 4 | ALULA > BIVOUAC REFUGE
January 7 ^th 2026 - 17:27 [GMT + 3]

"Monsieur Dakar" bagged his second Stock win and clawed back over ten minutes on the two drivers ahead of him in the overall. Stéphane Peterhansel finished the first half of the marathon-refuge stage 43'55" behind his teammate Rokas Baciuška.

"It's been a long time since I spent more than six hours in a car in a special. The last few times it was because we had mechanical problems. This time, we were just driving, and that takes a lot of concentration. It was a great special, with magnificent scenery. If I came back, it's because there was a very strong project at Defender: to take a production-based car all the way to the finish of the event. My challenge was to help them achieve that. And I'm happy to be back, because there's a special atmosphere here. I know the top drivers in cars and bikes; it's a bit like one big family, so it's also a real pleasure to be here. On the first day, we had a power steering issue and we've since had punctures. I think we'll probably have more problems. But that's normal: when a factory or a brand comes to the Dakar, it almost never goes smoothly the first year. The pressure is not the same. That's what always bothered me before, being the leader of the race, having to win the race. I was a bit tired of feeling that pressure that I put on myself. I wanted to do well, I knew I had to take risks, and I no longer wanted that. For now, we're having a good time with Mika. We are both former bikers and, since we spend so much time in the car, it is important to be with a co-driver you feel good with."