Audi achieved its first victory with an electric vehicle in the Dakar Rally with the RS Q e-tron. Team managers and team members spoke about the success achieved…
Audi achieved its first victory and made history in the 2024 Dakar Rally with its electric racing car equipped with a high-voltage battery and energy converter. Apart from the Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz duo, who dominated the rally for eight stages, the other two teams also made significant contributions to the team's success.
Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger took the stage victory, while Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist won the classification for two days, including qualifying. Organizers, pilots and co-pilots evaluated the race and their experiences at the finish line.
Michl: The result of hard work
Stating that they have written the name of Audi in golden letters in the history of motorsport, Audi Motorsport President Michl said: “It is difficult to convey this victory in words. It will take us a few more days to digest this. This sport is the same zamIt's also about luck at the moment. We experienced a lack of this last year. We have a great team that never gives up despite failures. If you trust your team, they can achieve even seemingly impossible things. With long and hard work we have overcome this challenge. Our winning team, Carlos and Lucas, are outstanding. Carlos is not only a top pilot, he is also zamA legend with a big heart who cares about people at every moment, gets carried away with every detail and is never satisfied with himself. It's a great honor to have him fight for our team. Likewise, this success would not have been possible without Lucas' diligent work and skill. Thank you very much to the entire team.” said.
Sven Quandt: The electric drive system is absolutely correct
Q Motorsport Team Manager Sven Quandt said that they made history with a concept vehicle in a three-year motorsport struggle and said, “We have gained superiority against old propulsion systems. This shows that Audi is ahead of the competition. This electric drive concept, which we spent three years developing, was absolutely correct. The competition was extremely exciting. The final days of the rally were particularly difficult. We are very relieved with the victory of Carlos and Lucas. The last few days I got nervous when Sébastien Loeb approached. However, on the penultimate day, I relaxed a little more. The team worked perfectly for us. The spirit was truly amazing. Only with such people can you achieve victory.” he said.
Sainz: A very special victory with a very special concept
Stating that he is very happy for Audi and many fans of the brand, Carlos Sainz said: “This victory means a lot to me. This is my fourth victory with four different brands. The team developed a very special concept that allowed us to take first place in the Dakar Rally. Only Audi was brave enough to take this risk. I am very happy that we made history with this concept. And in one of the toughest rallies I've ever experienced. My family and the entire Audi family are here. Thanks to the brand, to Rolf Michl and Sven Quandt who believed in us and made this possible. Thanks also to Mattias, Emil, Stéphane and Edouard who helped us a lot. “This is a great victory.” said.
Cruz: We had no problems on the difficult stages
Stating that he is very happy for the team, Lucas Cruz said, “This enthusiastic team has prepared a very advanced car for us. And with this concept we achieved victory in Dakar. I'm so grateful to everyone. Stress and tension were high throughout the race. “We overcame extremely challenging stages every day and our vehicle did its job without any problems.” He gave information as follows.
Other team members of the Audi team also said the following about the successful results:
Mattias Ekström: “I am happy with my performance. My co-pilot Emil also did a good job. We followed a very good strategy. After a good ranking, the first week was quite satisfactory. We were in second place after Carlos Sainz. Our luck turned with the rear axle problem. We also supported Carlos to help the team. We learned a lot again in this rally. "Although unfortunately we did not achieve our own goal, I am very happy for Audi, Carlos and Lucas with this beautiful victory."
Emil Bergkvist: “I am very happy for Audi Sport. Carlos and Lucas deserve this success. For us, due to a problem we are experiencing, a lot of zamIt was a rally in which we lost every moment and therefore lost all our chances. "Then we helped our teammates in the stages, for example with tires."
Stéphane Peterhansel: “The overall result is pleasing to the team. I am very happy for the whole team including Carlos and Lucas and Rolf Michl and Sven Quandt. The project was extremely challenging in terms of technology. Three years later, Audi was ready to win and is celebrating the first success of its electric powertrain. While we're a little disappointed that things didn't go better for our car, we can all be proud of it. This was not our Dakar. We had a technical problem in the first week and the last week. That's why we had to abandon the last stage. However, all three pilot teams have been working very well together for years to achieve this success. "The amazing success of Carlos and Lucas is engraved in everyone's memory."
Edouard Boulanger: “We all won as a team today. We return from the race with good feelings. Everyone contributed to this great result. Unfortunately things didn't go so well for Stéphane and my car and we ended up with some damage. However, the team of Carlos and Lucas achieved the main goal and showed that the RS Q e-tron was the car that achieved victory. I congratulate Carlos and Lucas for running a perfect race. Carlos is already 61 years old. Despite the pressure from Sébastien Loeb zamHe endured the moment. Of course, Mattias, Emil and us always love Carlos. zamWe supported the moment. Thanks to the whole team. Not long ago, eight or nine months ago, new people joined the team. “They worked hard to understand everything and make this result possible through their work.”