Intensity never dipped during Desafío Ruta 40 as high-speed battles played out across all race categories on five ultra-tough rally stages. The 3,000-kilometre route took a bite out of the World Rally-Raid Championship convoy as they were forced up mountains, over dunes, along rivers and through thick vegetation. There were surprise first time winners and triumphs for some well established off-roaders who have made victory a habit. Let’s recap the race to find out who is celebrating in San Juan, Argentina tonight…
23-year-old Seth Quintero turned on the afterburners to take his maiden Ultimate class victory. The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver went into the final stage with a lead of just seven seconds before the Californian held his nerve to bring home victory. After sealing the 2023 W2RC Challenger title, this week’s Ultimate class victory sees Quintero come of age as one of the championship’s true big hitters.
“I've already finished on the overall podium of several Ultimate races, but I've been missing that element of luck you need to win. There’s so many people to thank. Toyota Gazoo Racing have given me this amazing car and the opportunity to fight at the front. Red Bull have been working with me since I was 12 years old to get me to this point. My co-dog Shorty (Andrew Short, co-driver) absolutely crushed it. My mum, my dad and all the boys back home… love you guys, thank you.” – Seth Quintero
Henk Lategan made it a 1-2 result for Toyota Gazoo Racing as he crossed the finish line less than two minutes behind Quintero after 16 hours of racing against the clock in Argentina. Lategan took his maiden W2RC Ultimate class win at Round 3 last season. Now his American team-mate has repeated the trick at the midway point of this current season.
“We got caught off guard a little bit on the first two days, but then we were quick enough to get back up there and finish second. I’m really happy for Seth to get his first big win and happy for the team to score a great 1-2 result.” – Henk Lategan
Nasser Al-Attiyah started the final stage less than 10 seconds behind Quintero and the Qatari gave it everything to chase down the win. Unfortunately for the reigning Dakar champion an ill-timed puncture saw the air escaping from his challenge. Al-Attiyah fought back to complete the podium in third place overall.
“We got a puncture on the final stage and that put us in the dust, but this is motorsport. We finished third and this gives us more points for the championship. Things are well setup for the next round in Morocco.” – Nasser Al-Attiyah
Al-Attiyah’s Dacia team-mate Sébastien Loeb finished Desafío Ruta 40 in fourth overall. The result keeps the Frenchman top of the overall W2RC Ultimate class rankings with two stops of the season remaining. Loeb leads on 114 points, with Al-Attiyah 111 and Quintero on 101 as the season builds towards a blockbuster finish.
The third Dacia driven by Lucas Moraes suffered a heavy collision in the dunes on Stage 3 before rejoining the rally and reaching the finish line. Argentina’s Kevin Benavides also had an eventful Desafío Ruta 40 as he made his Ultimate class debut in a Toyota Hilux. The two-time Dakar bike race winner scored a podium on Stage 2, proving he has the pace to ride up front with the very best in the championship.
“I’m super happy to finish the race because that was my biggest target for this first rally in the Ultimate class. We got some great results this week, getting on the podium on Stage 2 was incredible.” – Kevin Benavides
Ford Racing brought three Raptor T1+ cars to Argentina with the driving talents of Carlos Sainz, Nani Roma and Mitch Guthrie Jr. at the wheel. A stage win for Sainz on Stage 4 was a highlight for the team during a tough week out on the course. It was Roma who placed highest for the team as the former Dakar winner in both bike and car categories finished eighth overall.
“This was a really nice rally, tough but really beautiful. We had some mechanical issues which complicated things. I know this sport for a long time and sometimes everything is working great and sometimes you have some problems.” – Nani Roma
Four of Stéphane Peterhansel’s record 14 Dakar wins came while the world’s toughest rally was hosted in South America. Peterhansel made a triumphant return to the continent this week as he took victory in Desafío Ruta 40’s Stock category. The Frenchman was pushed all the way by his Defender team-mate Rokas Baciuška.
“We’re really happy to win here in Argentina. What’s most important to me is to have fun while racing and it was super nice to drive my Defender through these landscapes. It was great to be back here.” – Stéphane Peterhansel
Matthias Walkner was also a Dakar winner in South America. That victory came on two wheels in 2018 when the Dakar finished in Córdoba. Now he’s celebrating Desafío Ruta 40 victory on four wheels after coming out on top in the Challenger category by just 29 seconds! There’s a long history of high-profile rally-raid bikers making a successful switch to four wheels and now Walkner has joined that company.
“I’m super happy to get my first win at a world championship race on four wheels. My first race with Pablo (Moreno, co-driver) and with BBR. The win means a lot to me and I’m happy we could show a really good pace all week.” – Matthias Walkner
Over on the bikes it was a dominant win from start to finish for Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders. The Australian added Desafío Ruta 40 to his collection of titles, a list that now includes every event that’s ever been on the W2RC calendar. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider’s win in Argentina propels him to the top of the current W2RC RallyGP rankings.
“I finished the Dakar with a broken collarbone and switched focus to the World Championship. You push through the pain because at the end of the series you want that #1 plate. It takes a lot of speed, strength and experience to get the #1 one plate and I want to keep hold of it.” – Daniel Sanders
The crowds came out all week to cheer on local hero Luciano Benavides. This year’s Dakar winner put on a show for the fans, but ultimately missed out on the overall podium with a fourth place finish. The battle for this season’s W2RC title is still wide open between Benavides and his KTM team-mate Sanders… just six points separate the pair.
"Overall, it’s been a good week and I’m happy with my riding. I just couldn’t put it all together and made some small mistakes. I’m happy for Daniel for his win and the team is having a really good moment. I’ve lost the lead of the championship at this round, but I will be rested before the next rally in Morocco.” – Luciano Benavides
21-year-old Edgar Canet was the third Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider at Desafío Ruta 40. The youngster picked up plenty of experience on the broken tracks that stretched out over the Argentinian provinces of San Juan and Mendoza as he rides his debut RallyGP season.
Canet won last season’s W2RC Rally2 title, a category where newcomers to rally-raid are introduced to the discipline. Chile’s Benjamín Herrera is the latest rider to make an impact in Rally2 after getting his first taste of international rally-raid competition. Herrera completed Desafío Ruta 40 on a 2014 Dakar bike borrowed from the personal museum of Francisco 'Chaleco' López.
“I’ve learned so much this week and discovered the routine of rally-raid. Waking up early to race every morning, going huge distances, figuring out the navigation and then working late with the mechanics to get the bike ready for the next day.” – Benjamín Herrera
Next up for the World Rally-Raid Championship convoy is Rallye du Maroc, running September 28 to October 3. This penultimate round will take competitors deep into the Sahara Desert for an intense test of dune surfing. With championship gaps so small across the categories our contenders will be thinking of nothing else besides their next trip to Africa in the coming months.
Source: Red Bull Desert Wings
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