– Eighth place for Despres
– Przygonski finishes 18th after misfortune
Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA) and his wife Andrea (GER) are an unbeatable pair in a rally car, as well as at home. They won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the second event in the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, on their first outing together in the MINI John Cooper Works Rally.
That makes them the first married couple to win an FIA cross-country event in the car category. Fellow MINI driver Cyril Despres (FRA) came home eighth alongside co-driver Dani Oliveras (ESP) in their MINI JCW Buggy. Jakub ‘Kuba’ Przygonski and Timo Gottschalk ended the rally in 18th place. Stephan Schott (GER) and Filipe Palmeiro (POR) finished 11th.
This year’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge was among the most difficult of recent years: A heavy sandstorm meant the crews had limited visibility on the first two days. To make matters worse, the wind caused the dunes to be so soft that many drivers found themselves stuck in the sand. Despite these tricky conditions, the cars built by X-raid won four of a possible five days and also secured overall victory.
A successful merging of professional and private lives
Everyone was intrigued to see how Andrea Peterhansel would fare next to her husband and “Mister Dakar