He made his Paris to Dakar Rally debut in 1988 in the motorcycle category for Yamaha, later winning the event in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 1998. He switched to the car category for 1999, joining the works Mitsubishi in 2003. He went on to win the event for the Japanese marque in 2004, 2005 and 2007, and took his 11th victory in 2013 driving an X-Raid prepared Mini Countryman – making him the most successful competitor in the history of the Dakar Rally.
In 2015 he joined Peugeot as the manufacturer returned to compete in the Dakar for the first time since 1990. He took his 12th and 13th Dakar victory in 2016 and 2017
Congrats to Skylar Howes for another fantastic finish! Give this guy a ride HONDA! He could be practicing with Brabec all year long. He could win!!
Laia Sanz... 11 Dakars started, 11 Dakars finished. That is a mind-blowing statistic for such a long and difficult race. Of those finishes, 4 have been in the Top 20 overall, 3 have been Top 15, and 1 was Top 10. After a year in which she recovered from torn ligaments in both hands and a nasty bout of Lyme Disease which she is still struggling with, she finishes this 2021 edition of the Dakar Rally in 17th Position overall, and earning her 11th straight win in the Women's Class. There will never be another like her...