18 Mar 2024

Audi Confirms Conclusion of RS Q e-tron Dakar Program

[gallery link="file" columns="1" size="full" ids="95769"] Audi Sport has apparently confirmed the end of its 3-year Dakar Rally program and thus presumably the end of competitive racing for the RS Q e-tron. We're hearing news from Autosport that the team has confirmed this fact and could face a fine by the FIA for ending the program prior to the end of the season. The quote from Audi reported on by Autosport confirming the program's end is as follows: “Audi is ending the rally project...
9 Feb 2024

Facts & Figures: Audi’s Dakar Victory

[gallery link="file" columns="1" size="full" ids="95790"] Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz: involuntary cold showers, avoiding mistakes, hard landings and the generous gesture of a competitor 12.28 kilometers of uninterrupted top speed Clever energy management: one seventh comes from recovery [source: Audi AG] Audi made global headlines with its first Dakar victory. The analyses of Team Audi Sport, together with background stories from the bivouac, reveal many an insight worth readin...
24 Jan 2024

Longer Tables Podcast with José Andrés – Carlos Sainz: The Drive to Win

[gallery link="file" columns="1" size="full" ids="96088"] During the F1 grand prix in Las Vegas, Carlos Sainz was in town to watch his son Carlos Jr. compete with Ferrari. Legendary chef José Andrés caught up with Carlos Sainz to talk about life on the road, life off the road and how to turn a medical helicopter around when you've merely suffered a spinal fracture in the middle of Saudi Arabia. Of course, that was months before Carlos headed off to contest (and win!) the 2024 Dakar Rally. He...
22 Jan 2024

Camouflage: Audi Sport’s Secret Dakar Rally Test (and Victory) for quattro Before Anyone Knew What It Was

[gallery columns="1" size="full" link="file" ids="96135"] Disguising test mules is common practice in the car industry, but in those late ‘70s years leading up to Audi’s launch of quattro, the idea took on a whole new meaning. In the case of quattro, camouflage was more than just skin deep, and that timeline is most fascinating to recount. While likely no one back then could have imagined how pivotal quattro technology would be for Audi, all indications suggest Ingolstadt knew that the bran...
19 Jan 2024

Audi Wins the Dakar Rally!

[gallery columns="1" link="file" size="full" ids="95986"] Audi RS Q e-tron wins toughest desert rally with innovative drive system Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz achieve fourth personal victory Gernot Döllner: “Audi has once again set a milestone” [source: Audi AG] Audi makes history: for the first time, a low-emission prototype with an electric drive, high-voltage battery and energy converter wins the world’s toughest desert rally with the Audi RS Q e-tron. The Spaniards Carlos Sainz/...
15 Jan 2024

1–2 Lead for Audi at the Halfway Point of the 2024 Dakar Rally

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="95788"] Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz lead ahead of Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist Excitement, variety and a balanced field characterize the rally Terrain, distances and navigation place the highest demands [source: Audi Sport] At the halfway point of the Dakar Rally, Team Audi Sport can look back on its best performance to date: In its third participation in the desert classic, Audi with the Spaniards Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz ahead of the Swedes Matt...
8 Jan 2024

Video: Inside Dakar 2024 E04, Stage 3

  Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist missed the stage win on Monday by just nine seconds, improving to P3 in the overall standings with their Audi RS Q e-tron. All three cars of Team Audi Sport are now running in the Top 6.