In addition to winning the historic rally raid for Audi, Carlos Sainz drove to his fourth Dakar victory.With Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz driving the Audi RS Q e-tron, Audi made history at Dakar by winning the 2024 rally raid. This is not only the first time the German automaker has won the prestigious race, but it also signals the beginning of a new era in motorsport, as the Audi RS Q e-tron is the first vehicle to be powered entirely by electricity.
From the sixth stage on, Sainz and Cruz maintained a comfortable lead, which helped them secure the victory. The two have already won three times at Dakar: in 2010 and in 2018 and 2020. Sebastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin gave them a fierce chase during the rally, but their pursuit was cut short on the penultimate day when their car sustained damage. “Audi has once again set a milestone in motorsport,” said Gernot Dollner, Chairman of the Board at Audi AG, in response to the victory. The use of electrified drive to win the hardest desert rally on the planet is a clear example of “Vorsprung durch Technik” and points the way towards an electric future.
“The team’s performance was outstanding,” stated Rolf Michl, Head of Audi Motorsport. “Everyone came together to enable Audi to achieve this historic outcome. Many thanks to this amazing group. We have started a new chapter in the history of the Dakar Rally as well as for Audi today.”Sainz’s triumph also served as a fitting farewell for Audi, which is anticipated to discontinue cross-country rallying with the RS Q e-tron after three seasons in order to intensify its efforts towards its 2026 Formula 1 entry.
The 7,883-kilometer Dakar stage in 2024 featured two marathon stages and daily stages covering more than 400 kilometres. The competitors faced some of the most challenging terrain in Saudi Arabia, including steep sand dunes and gravel roads, as well as towering chains of dunes in the Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter. These obstacles frequently made navigation challenging and required maximum performance from the teams.
Halfway through the Dakar, Dakar legend Stephane Peterhansel won his 50th stage overall, but he and co-driver Edouard Boulanger were forced to fall back due to a hydraulic system defect. Audi’s other two cars also put in strong performances. After winning the prologue and moving up to second place by the sixth stage, Mattias Ekstrom and Emil Bergkvist were denied the opportunity to win due to an axle defect. Throughout multiple stages, the two teams helped Sainz and Cruz to secure Team Audi Sport’s victory.
Since 2006, Sainz has attended Dakar every year. This year, he will have participated in the event 17 times, in Europe/Africa, South America, and Saudi Arabia.When asked which Dakar had meant the most to him personally, he replied, “It has been extremely difficult; the outcome confirms this.” It’s unique because of the car.”It was a very tough beginning, having recovered from an injury that resulted in two fractured vertebrae. Winning here makes me happy, and I’m grateful to everyone for being a part of this new history that Audi has achieved in this race.”
The challenger from the previous year has been improved upon in the 2024 Audi RS Q e-tron. The vehicle combines an effective engine, a high-voltage battery, and an electric motor to provide amazing performance even on the roughest terrain. The RS Q e-tron is more capable of Quattro AWD, has a better chassis, better damage protection, and is more serviceable than it was a year ago. There has never before been a car with such an electric drivetrain on the top step of the Dakar.
