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In Stage 1 of the Desafío Ruta 40, Argentina, Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge (#500) placed first in the Stock class. Driving the Defender Dakar D7X-R, the crew finished the 340km stage with a time of 04:03:07.
Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal completed the San Juan-to-San Juan route just ten seconds slower, with a time of 04:03:17.
In third, Sara Price and Saydiie Gray finished 35 seconds behind Peterhansel and Metge, with a time of 04:03:42. This marked Saydiie’s competitive debut with Defender Rally.
Stage 1 was navigationally complex, with a route that took crews through imposing canyons and fast salt flats.
Ian James, Team Principal of Defender Rally, said: “It’s always positive to see all three cars back safely and, having monitored the crews through each of the checkpoints, we could see that the cars were running incredibly closely all day, demonstrating the strong performance of the team. Also relative to the timing of the Ultimates, we’re seeing really strong running from all three cars in a new location. Today, Saydiie completed her first stage as Sara’s navigator, which was great to see and there were no mistakes from any of the crews. Of course, despite the positive start we know there’s a lot of racing still to come, so it’s a good opportunity now to regroup overnight and make sure we’re in good shape for tomorrow.”
Stéphane Peterhansel, Defender Rally driver, said: “First, it was great to be back in Argentina. I didn’t remember that the ground was so soft, so after ten or fifteen cars the ground is destroyed, which meant there was lots of dust. There wasn’t too much rock and we drove through a really nice canyon and riverbeds. There were areas where we could drive super fast because it was a clean surface, too. The car was perfect to be honest. Whenever I jump in the car again after a little break, I am wowed by its performance. We had a really good time driving today.”
Rokas Baciuška, Defender Rally driver, said: “The stage today was super interesting and a little like a Dakar Rally stage. At the start, the driving was good but at the end, we were stuck behind the Ultimates, so it was difficult driving in the dust for fifteen or sixteen kilometres, but overall, everything was good.”
Sara Price, Defender Rally driver, said: “Stage 1 was tough, there was a lot of dust so it was difficult trying to see the whole time and you’re just trying to focus on what you can see and drive ahead. It was tough on the cars too. There was a lot of hard hits, unexpected ravines, things that could take you out, but we worked together as a team and Saydiie aced it. It was her first time navigating at a rally of this stature, so it was pretty awesome to see her do so well and a great day overall.”
Stage 2 takes place on Tuesday 26th May and the route takes competitors from San Juan to San Rafael, travelling into the Mendoza region, with a 128km timed section.
