The Frenchman made his debut on a motorcycle event in 1980 and went on to achieve no less than six victories in the two-wheel category on the most difficult cross-country event in world, the Paris-Dakar Rally. 'Peter', as he is nicknamed in France, remains the most successful rider in the history of the Dakar.
He also achieved four victories on one of the world's top motorcycle enduro races, the ISDE (International Six-Day Enduro). In 1999, he entered the four-wheel category of the Granada-Dakar Rally and finished an impressive seventh overall.
He persevered in the four-wheel category and eventually finished a magnificent second overall in the 2000 Dakar in a Mitsubishi-engined Mega Special, which he developed himself over the season.
In 2001, he won the T1 category and signed for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart after the 2002 Dakar Rally. He went on to clinch overall victory in the Tunisia Rally as a Mitsubishi works driver with a Pajero / Montero, before becoming an integral member of the test and development team for the new Pajero Evolution / Montero Evolution. After a test session in Morocco in August, Peterhansel gave the new car a winning debut in the UAE Desert Challenge, the final round of the FIA World Cup, across the sands of the Arabian Desert. He now has a contract with Mitsubishi for the full 2003 season.

Born at Bassano del Grappa in 1958, the young Italian driver entered his first rally in 1978, although his first rally car was an Opel Kadett which he drove in 1979. In 1983 he achieved victory in the FIA European Rally Championship in the Lancia Rally. In 1984, he graduated to the WRC and finished sixth overall, his best result being second in the Corsica Rally. His persistence paid off two years later when he clinched his first WRC victory for the Lancia team by winning the Rally of Argentina.
The following year he achieved three wins in Monte Carlo, Argentina and Sanremo and finished second in the Drivers' Championship. In 1988 he won no less than four consecutive rallies - Portugal, Kenya, Acropolis and the Olympus rally in the USA - and became the first Italian driver ever to win the FIA World Rally Championship Drivers' title, the little Italian also winning the Sanremo Rally in a Delta Integrale.
In 1989 he repeated his awesome performance by taking the title again with a similar five wins in Monte Carlo, Portugal, Kenya, Greece and Italy. The last of his 17 WRC wins came on the 1993 Acropolis Rally.
He began a new career in cross-country rallying in 1996 and took a pair of victories in the T4 Truck category. He joined Mitsubishi before the recent UAE Desert Challenge and finished third overall behind team mates, Peterhansel and Fontenay. The event was his first for the new team and he will be taking part in the Dakar Rally for the first time. He will also drive for Mitsubishi during the 2003 season.