Dakar 2024 – Stage 2: Stéphane Peterhansel, the roaring 50th!
Winner of the stage that led the competitors from Al Henakiyah to Al Duwadimi, the Frenchman outperformed his compatriot Sébastien Loeb and the American Seth Quintero, further solidifying his status in the rally's history.
Already holder of the record for the most wins in both motorcycle (6) and car (8) categories, as well as the record for the most stage wins in all categories combined (83) and the record for the most stage wins in the motorcycle category (33), Stéphane Peterhansel now holds the record for the most stage wins in the car category (50) in the Dakar. Or rather, he shares this honor with Ari Vatanen, who was the winner in the 1987, 1989, 1990, and 1991 editions.
The man from Vesoul continues to defy statistics on the Dakar tracks. Coming out victorious from a magnificent duel with Sébastien Loeb’s Hunter, the Audi driver secured his first stage win in two years, his second with the German manufacturer. A stage during which the main favorites set things right and almost all find themselves in the Top 10 of the day.
At the end of the planned 655 kilometers today, including 463 kilometers of special stage, Peterhansel finished the day with only thirty seconds ahead of Loeb and three minutes ahead of Seth Quintero. The 21-year-old American is confirming all the hopes placed in him since his debut on the Dakar in 2021 in the Challenger category.
Second yesterday in the first stage and eighth today, Carlos Sainz takes the lead in the overall standings at the expense of Guillaume de Mévius, who lost over 25 minutes at the end of this second stage.
Stage 2 Classification
| Concurrents | Team | Times / Gaps | |
| 1 | Peterhansel / Boulanger | Team Audi Sport | 03:54:50 |
| 2 | Loeb / Lurquin | Bahrain Raid Xtreme | +00:00:29 |
| 3 | Quintero / Zenz | Toyota Gazoo Racing | +00:03:11 |
| 4 | Al-Attiyah / Baumel | Nasser Racing | +00:06:28 |
| 5 | Al Rajhi / Gottschalk | Overdrive Racing | +00:07:11 |
Overall ranking
| Concurrents | Team | Times / Gaps | |
| 1 | Sainz / Cruz | Team Audi Sport | 08:49:38 |
| 2 | Al Rajhi / Gottschalk | Overdrive Racing | +00:01:51 |
| 3 | Loeb / Lurquin | Bahraïn Raid Xtreme | +00:04:17 |
| 4 | Quintero / Zenz | Toyota Gazoo Racing | +00:07:36 |
| 5 | De Mevius / Panseri | Overdrive Racing | +00:07:44 |
