Following a series of measures that have been adopted to improve safety conditions and to re-establish the importance of navigation, the organisers of the Dakar are turning their attention to preparation for the future in terms of energy. An eight-year programme has been designed to radically transform the energy landscape.Act I, the creation of the T1-E category.
The work carried out over the two latest editions fulfils the double objective of limiting the influence of the differences in resources between the teams, thanks to distribution at the start of the special stage, and to facilitate training for those who are less experienced with the colour version of the roadbook. For the 2022 edition, all of the vehicles from the car, SSV and truck categories will be equipped with these tablets, whilst the motorbikes and quads entered in the elite category will also be able to benefit from the version that has been adapted for them.
An important safety action has been initiated which means that all bike and quad racers must wear an airbag vest, which can minimise the consequences of high-speed impact. The roll-out of this equipment has brought many benefits. The organisers are now working in collaboration with the FIM and the main manufacturers on improving the effectiveness of the vests as well as the comfort of the driver, which should also be considered.
The aim is to have 100% low-carbon vehicles in the car, SSV and truck categories by 2030. In preparation for this revolution, the rules drawn up in collaboration with the FIA take into account, from Dakar 2022, the creation of a category for prototype vehicles relying on electric motors or any technology focused on reducing carbon emissions (for example, the use of biofuels). From January 2022, this new category will be comprised in particular of vehicles made by the German manufacturer Audi.
Starting this year, the Dakar is getting involved in a huge programme bringing together the whole rally raid community in an effort to make sure that all of the vehicles on the grid from2030 are powered by low-emission energies.
Audi makes history: for the first time, a low-emission prototype with an electric drive², high-voltage battery and energy converter² wins one of the toughest desert rallys with the Audi RS Q e-tron¹. The Spaniards Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz secured Audi''s first victory in the Dakar Rally after around 7,900 kilometers with a lead of 80 minutes.
"That was an overwhelming team performance," said Head of Audi Motorsport Rolf Michl. "Everyone pulled together to make this historic result possible for Audi. A big thank you to this wonderful team. Today we have written a new chapter for Audi, but also in the history of the Dakar Rally."
"Congratulations to Team Audi Sport on winning the Dakar Rally," said Gernot Döllner, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. "Audi has once again set a milestone in motorsport. Winning the world''s toughest desert rally with an electrified drive² is a visible ''Vorsprung durch Technik'' and points the way to our electric future."
At the Dakar Rally, Audi was up against the two brands Toyota and Ford as well as the experienced opponents from Prodrive, who proved to be tough challengers. Daily stages of often more than 400 kilometers, two marathon stages with limited or even no service, as well as 4,600 timed kilometres and 7,883 kilometres in total characterized the 2024 Dakar Rally. Sharp scree and gravel roads, but also towering chains of dunes and often difficult navigation demanded everything from the teams. Carlos Sainz, who at 61 looks back on a rally career spanning around four decades, recorded a total of eight days in the lead with Lucas Cruz on the twelve stages.
The two other Audi crews had also put in a strong performance early on. The Swedes Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist won the prologue at the beginning and improved to second place behind Sainz/Cruz by the rest day. However, a defect on the rear axle cost them all their chances. Ekström/Bergkvist finished the event in the top 50. Stéphane Peterhansel, record holder with 14 Dakar victories, was in sixth place shortly before the halfway point after his 50th stage win in the car and his 83rd overall. A defect in the hydraulic system threw him and his copilot Edouard Boulanger back to 22nd place on the sixth stage.
Both teams then put themselves at the service of Team Audi Sport. Head of Audi Motorsport Rolf Michl and Sven Quandt, Team Principal of the entry partner Q Motorsport, implemented a perfect strategy. Whether it was tactically dropping back before the second marathon stage to avoid having to open the route or supporting the leaders Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz, the management was able to rely on its strong driver crews at all times. The team personnel also worked tirelessly and reliably during the physically demanding, long and tough rally.
Audi won the legendary Dakar Rally with the Audi RS Q e-tron¹ in January 2024, successfully making motorsport history and bringing the marathon rally programme of Team Audi Sport to a close. At the Dakar Rally, Audi faced one of the greatest challenges in its motorsport history. The Audi RS Q e-tron¹ made its debut in 2022 and was the first car developed for the T1U class of the Dakar Rally regulations for alternative drivetrains². The continuous development and hard work by Team Audi Sport culminated in the Dakar victory for Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz two years later, marking the first triumph for a car with this kind of drivetrain² in the legendary event.
An adventure for Audi: After many international successes in a wide range of categories, the brand with the four rings returned to rallying in 2022 – a form of competition that marked the beginning of the brand''s successful history in motorsport. From 1981, the Audi quattro revolutionized rallying, and in 2024, Audi made motorsport history again with victory in the Dakar Rally.
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