Nasser finishes second at Dakar Rally as Sainz emerges champion

Córdoba, Argentina: Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah finished second at the Dakar Rally while Spanish veteran Carlos Sainz emerged as the champion in Cordoba on Saturday.

While Nasser, driving a Toyota, came third in the 4th and final stage, a ninth-place finish was enough for 55-year-old Sainz to ensure his second triumph in the gruelling rally.

South African Giniel de Villiers came third.

Sainz retained a huge 43 minutes 40 seconds advantage on arrival at the finishing line of the 40th edition.

The former world rally champion became the oldest winner in the history of the event after starting as an outsider only to lead right through the second week of his 11th participation.

It is also a third win in four races for Peugeot, who have said they will not race next year.

Having only finished the rally once since his first win in 2010 Sainz put in a steady performance on the sand dunes explaining "the strategy was to take it easy there" before powering into a clear lead on the high speed stages.