Antofagasta, Chile: Russian driver Vladimir Vasilyev maintained defending champions Mini’s monopoly of the Dakar Rally on Thursday, with the manufacturer making it five stage wins from five on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
But Carlos Sainz, the 2010 champion, retired from the race after rolling and destroying his troubled Peugeot.
Vasilyev clinched the 458km run from Chile’s Atacama desert, the driest place on earth, to the coastal stop of Antofagasta.
The Toyota of Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi was second on the stage — just 20 seconds behind — to remain third in the overall standings. The Hummer of America’s Robbie Gordon was third on the day.
Mini’s Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyah, the 2011 champion and overall leader, was fourth on Thursday, with 11-time champion Stephane Peterhansel in a Peugeot a place further back.
For the first time in the 2015 race, South Africa’s 2009 champion Giniel de Villiers failed to finish on the podium. However, the Toyota driver, sixrh on the day, remains second overall.
“It was not an easy stage. We drove all the way until the last 10km with a flat tyre, so we decided to change the wheel,” said Al Attiyah, who still managed to extend his lead by a further two minutes.
“We changed the puncture in 1 minute 35 seconds, which is very fast.”
Sainz, recruited by Peugeot to spearhead the French manufacturers’ return to the event after a 25-year absence, called it quits.
Having lost more than nine hours on Wednesday’s fourth stage across the Andes and over the Atacama because of a steering problem, the Spaniard’s vehicle was wrecked after rolling five times.
It was a problem too far for Sainz, who had earlier limped into the overnight halt at Copiapo at 3.30am.
