For the first time on record, Audi has claimed the gold award of the world’s most famous rally raid, the Dakar Rally. Carlos Sainz assisted by Lucas Cruz piloted an RS Q e-tron to the finish line, marking the first time an electrified vehicle won the formidable marathon.
The racer duo has completed the entire track – which is 7.9 thousand kilometers, or 4.9 thousand miles long – in 48 hours, 15 minutes and 18 seconds. Sainz, 61, managed to overtake the second-place contenders from the Toyota team by 1 hour, 20 minutes and 25 seconds. Sebastien Loeb from the Prodrive team came third.
The gold is Sainz’s fourth Dakar victory so far, and it is worth pointing out that the renowned driver has never won two awards for any single automaker or team. His previous victories were for Volkswagen, Peugeot, and MINI.
This wasn’t the first time Audi attempted a Dakar Rally run, either. The RS Q e-tron had hit the track twice before this year. All along, the in-house team of engineers had kept improving and polishing it, Audi said commenting on the victory. In its latest incarnation, the all-terrain buggy utilizes two electric motors jointly rated at 670 PS (661 hp / 493 kW), while a 2.0-liter petrol engine supplies them with extra power.