Customer Peugeot team targets Dakar victory

French race-pre company PH-Sport has targeted becoming the first private team to win the Dakar Rally in 17 years, having become Peugeot's first customer squad.

PH-Sport, which also runs Citroen's part-time World Rally Championship effort this year before the works team's 2017 return, has taken delivery of three Peugeot 2008DKRs. It is currently in negotiation with drivers for a program of testing this season ahead of January's South American marathon.

Peugeot's 2008 dominated this year's Dakar, with Stephane Peterhansel winning for the French manufacturer, but both Carlos Sainz and Sebastien Loeb featured at the front of the field.

"We are very excited by the idea of taking on this new challenge," Bernard Piallat, PH-Sport manager, said. "Being able to lease the best car in cross-country rallying is an exceptional opportunity, both for PH-Sport and the drivers that choose to join us.

"We have many drivers interested for both Dakar and Morocco and it's a case of the first three to confirm their program will have the car. We're confident that the 2008DKR can win again [with us] next season."

The team's cross-country debut will come on the Rally of Morocco in October.

The last private winner of the Dakar was Jean-Louis Schlesser, who won the Paris-Dakar-Cairo event in his Renault-engined buggy in 2000.

Originally on Autosport.com