The Dakar Rally, held in Argentina and Chile for the third time although with less spectators than in the previous two years, could expand into Brazil, Paraguay and Peru in 2012.

The world famous race, moved from west Africa to South America over security concerns, was won by Qatar's Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday. The race ended officially in Buenos Aires on Sunday.

French race director Etienne Lavigne hinted the race could be opened to more countries in South America.

"Every year we try to build on a new idea. We're thinking it could be good to open the race to other countries while including Chile and Argentina," Lavigne said after being asked if next year's race might end in Lima instead of Buenos Aires.

But the Frenchman said decisions would be taken from March and "everything depends on the authorities in those countries."

The prize giving at the Obelisk in central Buenos Aires was brought forward over warnings of an impending storm in the Argentine capital on Sunday afternoon and relatively few spectators showed up.

The other winners at the end of the gruelling 16-day race were Marc Coma on motorbikes, Argentine Alejandro Patronelli on quads and Russian Vladimir Chagin in trucks.

"Now the world will know where Qatar is," said Al-Attiyah, draped in Qatari and Argentine flags, possibly forgetting his country only last month won the right to stage football's World Cup in 2022.

"I'm happy with Argentines' support and I thank them," he said while his Volkswagen team mate, Spanish former world rally champion Carlos Sainz, had to settle for third place having won the race last year and despite winning seven stages this year.

Fellow Spaniard Coma, winning his third Dakar motorbike title, said: "I was never able to relax because one stage finished and another harder one followed. The Dakar is very tough but this victory is the prize for all our work."

Reuters