History 2000s

2004 Dakar Rally (France to Senegal)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 2004 Dakar Rally (France to Senegal)

Date: January 1–18, 2004

Start Location: Clermont-Ferrand, France

Finish Location: Dakar, Senegal

Total Distance: 11,052 km

Competitive Stages: 5,565 km

Surface: Mixed (Desert, Gravel, Sand, Rocky Trails)

The 2004 Dakar Rally saw a dramatic route across Europe and North and West Africa, combining extreme endurance, brutal terrain, and navigation under pressure. After years of dominating on motorcycles, Stéphane Peterhansel transitioned to four wheels and claimed his long-awaited first Dakar victory in the car category with co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret and Mitsubishi.

Route

Morocco: Fast desert pistes and rocky foothills — early attrition zone for suspension and tire failures.
Mauritania: Endless dunes and soft sand — navigation skill and dune-reading were crucial.
Mali: Isolated, narrow tracks through riverbeds and arid plains — mechanical endurance was tested here.
Senegal: The final sprint to Dakar included beach sections and open savannah — short but treacherous if taken lightly.

The rally began in central France and crossed through Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, and Senegal. Notable stages included:

The grueling length of the event required perfect mechanical preservation, sharp navigation, and extraordinary physical resilience across nearly three weeks of competition.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Stéphane Peterhansel & Jean-Paul Cottret · Mitsubishi Pajero
2nd Place
Hiroshi Masuoka & Pascal Maimon · Mitsubishi Pajero
3rd Place
Jean-Louis Schlesser & Henri Magne · Schlesser-Renault Buggy

Peterhansel’s victory was both strategic and dominant. He balanced attack and preservation while managing risk in navigation and vehicle wear, holding off a hard push from teammate Masuoka and Schlesser’s lightweight buggy in the dunes.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Dune Strategy: Crossing Mauritanian and Malian dunes meant reading terrain with minimal error — rollovers and stuck vehicles were common.
  • Fatigue: 18 days of competition tested every driver's endurance — mental fatigue caused more mistakes than mechanical issues.
  • Mechanical Preservation: Peterhansel’s experience from years on motorcycles helped him keep a steady pace and avoid major failures.

Stéphane Peterhansel’s 2004 win marked his sixth Dakar victory overall (his first five on bikes), but his first in the car category — the beginning of his legacy as Dakar’s most versatile champion.

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