Audi Scores Historic Victory in the 2024 Dakar Rally

Audi made history with its first-ever low-emission prototype, the Audi RS Q e-Tron, equipped with an electric drivetrain, high-voltage battery, and energy converter, winning the Dakar Rally, the world’s toughest desert rally. The Spanish team of Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz finished the 7,900 kilometers (approximately 4,909 miles) race 1 hour and 20 minutes ahead, securing Audi’s first Dakar victory.

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner congratulated the Audi Sport team on their Dakar Rally victory: “Audi has set another milestone in motorsport.” He added, “Winning the world’s toughest desert rally with an electric drivetrain proves Vorsprung durch Technik (advancement through technology) and signifies our continuous move towards an electrified future.” The Audi RS Q e-tron, an electric front-wheel-drive vehicle, uses a high-voltage battery and a residual fuel-based reFuel energy converter to supply energy, emitting about 60% less carbon dioxide than conventional fuels.

Audi faced tough competition from experienced competitors at the Dakar Rally. Oliver Hoffmann, member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at Audi AG, commented, “Through innovative electric drivetrain, we overcame one of the biggest challenges in motorsport in just three years.” He expressed his gratitude to all Audi team members who achieved excellent results in the challenging Dakar Rally, adding, “We are continuing Audi’s pioneering achievements that have always stood out in its 40-year motorsport history.”

Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz consistently led the race from the sixth stage, where they built a significant lead. The two Spanish players, who won the rally in 2010, 2018, and 2020, achieved their fourth individual victory with different brands and recorded their second victory as part of the Volkswagen Group. However, Sainz, a two-time World Rally Championship winner, and his experienced co-driver Cruz could not predict the outcome until the end of the race. The BRX team’s Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin continued to chase closely until they experienced vehicle damage the day before the race ended. Rolf Michl, the director of Audi Motorsport, thanked all team members who worked together to achieve this historic result, stating, “Today, we not only made Audi proud, but we also opened a new chapter in the history of the Dakar Rally.”

The 2024 Dakar Rally, with a total course of 7,883 kilometers (approximately 4,897 miles), is characterized by general stages over 400 kilometers (approximately 248 miles), two marathon stages without service, and a 4,600-kilometer (approximately 2,858 miles) section where the record time is measured. All teams had to give their all due to steep slopes, gravel roads, towering dunes in the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Peninsula, and difficult route navigation. 61-year-old Carlos Sainz, who has a rally career spanning over 40 years, recorded the lead in 12 stages over eight days with Lucas Cruz.

The other two Audi teams also achieved impressive results. The Swedish team of Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist won the first stage, the Prologue stage, and climbed to second place after six stages behind Sainz and Cruz. However, they couldn’t continue their performance due to a problem with the rear axle in the 7th stage. Stéphane Peterhansel, who has 14 Dakar victories, recorded his 83rd personal and 50th car division stage victory before ranking 6th at the midpoint. However, his team, with French co-driver Edouard Boulanger, was pushed back to 22nd place in the 6th stage due to a hydraulic system problem.

Audi Sport has improved the efficiency of the Audi RS Q e-tron and achieved a victory in just three years. Under the technical guidance of Dr. Leonardo Pascali, they set another historic milestone with an innovative electric drivetrain. After creating an innovative change in the rally with the Quattro four-wheel drive in the 1980s, Audi has won numerous victories and titles on the circuit and proved it in Le Mans. The efficient TFSI drivetrain, electrified e-tron Quattro front-wheel drive, LED matrix light, Audi laser light, etc., symbolize this high level of innovation and ‘advancement through technology.’ After that, Audi’s first pure electric racing car debuted in Formula-E. Audi, which challenged the extreme challenge of the Dakar Rally, became the first brand to finish the rally successfully with an electric drivetrain.