Carlos Sainz signs for Audi’s ‘Dream Team’ for the Dakar 2022 in search of his fourth crown

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Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, together with the legendary Audi Quattro from the B Series

Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, together with the legendary Audi Quattro from the B Series
Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, together with the legendary Audi Quattro from the B Series
Audi Sport

It was an open secret: Carlos Sainz and his great rival and companion Stepháne Peterhansel they change teams to play the Dakar 2022. They have joined Audi, which will join the toughest raid in the world with a dream team that completes Matthias Ekstrom, DTM and rallycross champion, who has just switched to crosscountry in 2021.

Carlos Sainz, at the wheel of his Mini in the Rally of Andalusia

Carlos Sainz shows the tricks of Nasser Al-Attiyah to win the Andalusia rally and he laughs at him

Sainz and his co-driver Lucas Cruz will look for the most difficult test in Arabia yet: the fourth ‘Touareg’ trophy, which in the case of the mythical Madrid rider would also be with his fourth different brand after having won them with Volkswagen, Peugeot and Mini.

Audi is part of the history of rallying, but not of raids. It is no coincidence that Sainz and Cruz posed with the legendary Audi Quattro S1, the car that entered the annals of motorsport in the heyday of Serie B in the 1980s. In those years, Sainz was starting out in the WRC that he would end up conquering twice.

Nearing 60 (he has just turned 59), the Madrilenian still feels strong and eager. “I’m still hungry. Otherwise I would not have accepted this challenge. The Audi Quattro changed the WRC forever and now we are going to try something similar at the Dakar. I have full confidence in the Audi engineers and will try to help them with my experience to develop a fast and successful car. The Dakar is the latest challenge for an electric powertrain. It is a fantastic and extreme project. I’m looking forward to testing the car for the first time, “he says.

Kevin Benavides and Stéphane Peterhansel, 2021 Dakar champions in motorcycles and cars

The Dakar 2021 already has champions: Benavides makes his debut and Peterhansel enlarges his legend with the 14th

The challenge is enormous, not only to change saddle as a Stepháne Peterhansel who has just won his 14th Dakar, but also because Audi is entering a new stage in the evolution of raid. The team will compete with a hybrid prototype, which will have an electrical part and a combustion engine that will only serve to charge the batteries.

The Dakar 2022 will be held again in Arabia and will start on January 4.

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