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Historic victory for Audi and Q Motorsport at the Dakar Rally

19/01/24 – 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/Lucas Cruz secured Audi’s first victory in the Dakar Rally after around 7,900 kilometers with a lead of 1h 20min. Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist also crossed the finish line.

“Congratulations to Team Audi Sport on winning the Dakar Rally,” said Gernot Döllner, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “Audi has once again set a milestone in motorsport. Winning the world’s toughest desert rally with an electrified drive is a visible ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ and points the way to our electric future.” The Audi RS Q e-tron has electric all-wheel drive. The energy supply is ensured by a high-voltage battery and an energy converter that runs on residual fuel-based reFuel, thus saving 60 percent of CO2 emissions compared to conventional fuels………more click here

1–2 lead for Audi at the halfway point of the 2024 Dakar Rally

13/01/24 – 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 Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist holds a one-two lead after six of twelve legs. In a particularly demanding edition of the world’s toughest desert rally, the innovative Audi RS Q e-tron stands out thanks to the efficiency of its electric drive and its outstanding reliability over the first 4,200 kilometers.

Rugged surfaces ranging from volcanic rock to scree, strenuous dune crossings in the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia and two two-day marathon stages with little or no service opportunities: “As announced, the 46th edition of the Dakar Rally is absolutely relentless,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Rolf Michl. “I am all the more impressed by what we have seen so far from Team Audi Sport and Q Motorsport……..more click here

Dakar Rally 2024: Team Audi Sport ahead of a great challenge

21/12/23 – The Audi RS Q e-tron faces its third Dakar Rally. Team Audi Sport has optimized the pioneering rally prototype, that has an electric drivetrain, a high-voltage battery and an energy converter, in meticulous detail for the toughest rally of the year. The three driver crews of Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger, and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz are facing the most difficult task of the year with optimism, but also respect.

Audi was the first manufacturer to develop a T1U model for the Dakar Rally. The aim: the electrically powered prototype is to prove that a low-emission vehicle can master one of the toughest motorsport events and be competitive at the same time. “The Audi RS Q e-tron has already caused quite a stir in its first two Dakar appearances,” says Rolf Michl, Head of Audi Motorsport. “Audi was once again a technological pioneer in its outstanding motorsport history. We have initiated a paradigm shift. The combination of an electric drivetrain and a reFuel-powered energy converter is unique and very efficient. We know what we have already achieved. At the same time, we are looking forward to the next Dakar Rally with respect. It represents a major challenge.” As was the case the past two years, Audi is relying on the Q Motorsport team of experienced team principal Sven Quandt.”. ……..more click here

Audi RS Q e-tron for 2024: Innovative prototype with many new details

29/11/23 – Audi together with Q Motorsport improves the RS Q e-tron once again: Ahead of its third outing in the Dakar Rally, the rally prototype with its pioneering electric drivetrain with a high-voltage battery and an energy converter receives innovations in many areas. The Audi driver crews of Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz benefits from numerous detail improvements in January 2024. The new ideas make the RS Q e-tron safer, more reliable, more comfortable and a little lighter, as well as having shorter maintenance times for the team.

In January 2024, Audi will take on the world’s toughest desert rally for the third time with its low-emission vehicle. “What the RS Q e-tron is fundamentally capable of has been demonstrated by our drivers and co-drivers with six stage victories and 22 other single-day podium results at the Dakar Rally since 2022,” says Rolf Michl, Head of Audi Motorsport”. ……..more click here

Final test run for the Audi RS Q e-tron

24/11/23 – The last big test before the 2024 Dakar Rally: Team Audi Sport has put the Audi RS Q e-tron through its final test in the south of France. The three Audi driver crews of Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz carried out the final fine-tuning. Before Audi’s third participation in the Dakar Rally, the engineers’ priority was to further extend the endurance of all the components.

The three driver crews covered a total distance of over 900 kilometers during the five-day test hosted at Château de Lastours. “We have thus fulfilled our development tasks and are now concentrating on the remaining logistical work before January,” says Rolf Michl, Head of Audi Motorsport. “We have prepared as well as possible, but the Dakar Rally remains the most ambitious and by far the most difficult task on the calendar. And we approach it with great respect. A big thank you also goes out to the entire team, as well as to our drivers and co-drivers for the work they have done to date for this very demanding challenge.”. ……..more click here

Challenging Morocco Rally for Audi

18/10/23 – Team Audi Sport received no reward for a strong recovery at the Morocco Rally: Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Edouard Boulanger had improved from sixth place to second position on the penultimate day. However, a failure of the water pump on the final day deprived the two French Audi Sport drivers of the chance of a top result. The two other Audi driver pairings Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz also experienced ups and downs during the more than 2,200-kilometer desert rally.

At the Morocco Rally, the innovative Audi RS Q e-tron with electric drive, high-voltage battery and energy converter proved its competitiveness with three stage victories. Before the final day there was even a chance of a podium result: After Stéphane Peterhansel and his compatriot Edouard Boulanger had fallen behind in the first half of the rally due to two punctures and a navigation error, they started the penultimate stage in fourth place with a gap of almost 20 minutes. They won the stage and moved to within 3m 49s of the leaders. ……..more click here

Tough test for Audi in Morocco

13/10/23 – Team Audi Sport is using October to thoroughly prepare for the 2024 Dakar Rally. The brand will compete in the Morocco Rally with three Audi RS Q e-tron cars for the driver teams Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz in classification for the first time.

Step by step, Team Audi Sport is increasing the pace and the demands with a view to the big goal next January: In May, there was a first season test in Saudi Arabia. After further testing in Zaragoza, Spain, the team participated in the Baja Aragon. “October is now marked by the most intensive work since the Dakar Rally,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Rolf Michl. “Now the whole team can work in competitive mode again. The Morocco Rally is ideal for this in terms of duration and also with regard to the stages because the terrain reflects the versatile requirements of the Dakar Rally well.”” ……..more click here

Audi RS Q e-tron on city tour: Audi drivers inspire Madrid, Paris and Stockholm

19/09/23 – From the desert to the metropolises: Audi not only uses the future-oriented drive technology of the RS Q e-tron at the Dakar Rally but also specifically demonstrates it in major cities. Following the highly acclaimed Hamburg tour a year ago, the program now included the capitals of the three countries from which the Audi factory drivers hail. Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz traversed Madrid, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger were on the road in Paris and Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist steered the innovative low-emission prototype through Stockholm. Many passers-by followed the emotional performances full of joy and curiosity.

Madrid, Paris, Stockholm: The three Audi driver teams passed the most beautiful landmarks in the respective capitals with the electrically driven prototype. The royal palaces in Spain and Sweden or the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Cœur in Paris were just some of the numerous stops on the three routes” ……..more click here

Quotes from Team Audi Sport after the Baja España Aragón

22/07/23 – Team Audi Sport contested the Baja España Aragón around Teruel in eastern Spain for the first time. The competition, in which Audi competed outside the classification, together with a previous test marked the start of the squad’s six-month preparation for the 2024 Dakar Rally. While Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz finished in the Audi RS Q e-tron, Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist retired after a water crossing caused damage to the power steering pump. In the case of Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger, a faulty sensor with consequences for the electric drive ended the race prematurely.

“The Baja España Aragón was the first test under race conditions since the Dakar Rally in January. We knew why we chose these conditions here in Spain. We learned a lot about our new set-up…..” ……..more click here

Spain as an important stage for Audi on the way to the 2024 Dakar Rally

19/07/23 – Audi Sport is switching to competition mode in preparation for the 2024 Dakar Rally: After a test in Saudi Arabia in May, the squad is currently combining another test in Spain with a subsequent competition, the Baja Aragón. Three Audi RS Q e-tron cars will compete in the tradition-steeped event with the driver pairings Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz.

Team Audi Sport has been testing on the Iberian Peninsula for seven days since July 11, covering more than 1,500 kilometers. “Based on our findings from Saudi Arabia, our engineers have tackled and worked through detailed further steps,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Rolf Michl. “The feedback from our drivers to the team was valuable and shows us that we are working in the right direction….” ……..more click here

Consistent root cause analysis at Audi Sport’s Dakar test

31/05/23 – Team Audi Sport has prepared an analytical test for the suspension and tires after the 2023 Dakar Rally. The Audi RS Q e-tron’s record in January included a total of 14 podium results on 15 event days but also various setbacks. While the innovative electric drive concept worked flawlessly, tire failures clearly set back the three driver teams Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz in the most important competition of the year. In addition to the analysis carried out since January, the team completed its investigation of the causes in May with a test in Saudi Arabia.

Head of Audi Motorsport Rolf Michl had set his squad a clear target: “Our technology, the entire team and our drivers and co-drivers have the potential to drive at the very front. Our stage results proved that. So it was all the more annoying that tire failures and other problems set us back in January. Now we have to find solutions. Our systematically planned test was the next important step on this path after the theoretical analysis.” ……..more click here

Team Audi Sport with good individual results and setbacks at the Dakar Rally

15/01/23 –  The effort paid off: Team Audi Sport shaped the 2023 Dakar Rally with innovation and performance right up to the end despite various setbacks. The Audi RS Q e-tron with its electric drive concept scored a total of 14 podium results on 15 event days including the prologue. In addition, the Audi drivers led the rally in Saudi Arabia with the prototype for three days for the first time. However, a series of punctures, the accident-related retirements of Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz and Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger as well as a massive loss of time for Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist prevented a better result than 14th place.

Oliver Hoffmann, Board Member for Technical Development at Audi, visited the motorsport team on the final weekend in Saudi Arabia and recognized many achievements: “The pace of our innovative Audi RS Q e-tron was good right from the start and also showed at the end. Unfortunately, we also had bad luck in the desert and many punctures. Despite the setbacks, the team celebrated a finish thanks to strong performances. We will now analyze all areas. A podium was our goal. It remains so, because we will definitely compete again in 2024.”……..more click here

Carlos Sainz does not return to competition in stage 10

10/01/23 –  Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz will not continue in the 2023 Dakar Rally after their accident on the ninth stage on January 10. The three-time Dakar winners landed on the front of the vehicle after jumping off a dune on the section from Riyadh to Haradh and rolled over. Driver and co-driver were uninjured.

Team Audi Sport subsequently made the RS Q e-tron ready again with the help of the race truck crew. However, during the assessment at the evening bivouac in Haradh, the Audi Sport engineers determined that the damage was too serious for repairs on site because safety-relevant assemblies were also affected. “As sorry as we are, even a team as tireless as ours cannot repair damage of this dimension on site in time,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Rolf Michl. “As a result, the hopes for a finish rest on the shoulders of Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist in the remaining Audi RS Q e-tron.”……..more click here

Team Audi Sport remains motivated for second half of Dakar Rally

09/01/23 –  For Team Audi Sport, the first half of the 2023 Dakar Rally was an emotionally intense mix: Two stage victories and the Audi RS Q e-tron’s first three days in the lead at the world’s toughest rally were offset by setbacks for all three driver teams. Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist were leading in Saudi Arabia after the prologue, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz on the two following days. However, different damage on the hard stages threw them far back. Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger were in second place after the fourth special stage but dropped out two days later due to an accident.

The 2023 Dakar Rally surprised the participants with great hardship and caused a lot of turbulence in the classification. Stony tracks after the prologue led to 14 punctures on four consecutive legs starting on New Year’s Day in Team Audi Sport, spread across all three Audi RS Q e-tron cars……..more click here

Two incidents for Audi at the Dakar Rally

06/01/23 –  The seventh day of the 2023 Dakar Rally was a black Friday for Audi: On the stage from Ha’il to Riyadh,Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz and Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger were separately very unlucky going over a dune after 212 kilometers.

Peterhansel was in the lead when his co-driver complained of back pain after a hard landing. A helicopter took Edouard Boulanger to hospital, where doctors diagnosed an injury, but no permanent damage is expected. The Frenchman will now be flown out to Germany to undergo further treatment by specialists. Peterhansel remained uninjured…….more click here

Audi sets sights on podium at Dakar Rally

21/12/22 –  Revolutionizing the sport in an energy-efficient way and being among the best in the process: Audi has set itself no lesser task for the RS Q e-tron’s second outing in the Dakar Rally. Head of Audi Sport Rolf Michl has set Team Audi Sport a clear goal: After four stage victories were possible at the first attempt in the first appearance last January, the aim from December 31, 2022 to January 15, 2023 is to achieve a podium result in the overall standings for the innovative prototype with its electric drive, energy converter and high-voltage battery. The concept won the Racecar Powertrain of the Year Award in December from a panel of experts from Race Tech magazine.

tarting on New Year’s Eve, Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz will measure themselves against the competition in a prologue and 14 subsequent stages…….more click here

Award for the Audi RS Q e-tron

09/12/22 –  An additional motivational boost for Team Audi Sport shortly before its second outing in the Dakar Rally (December 31, 2022 to January 15, 2023): The innovative Audi RS Q e-tron has won one of the most important prizes that is awarded within the motorsport industry.

After a forced two-year break due to Corona, the World Motorsport Symposium of the Race Tech specialist magazine was held in London for the first time again, where experts from all over the world exchange views on the latest trends in motorsport. At the same time, a jury of experts awarded prizes to the most important technical developments. The Audi RS Q e-tron prevailed in the “Racecar Powertrain of the Year” category. Also nominated were Mercedes (Formula E), Toyota (Le Mans Hypercar) and Swindon (BTCC Touring Cars)……more click here

Audi RS Q e-tron saves more than 60 percent carbon dioxide at the 2023 Dakar Rally

23/11/22 –  Already at its Dakar debut, the Audi RS Q e-tron set standards in efficiency and competitiveness of e-mobility in motorsport in January 2022. Now the next step follows: The three desert prototypes with electric drive and energy converter will be at the start of the next edition of the Dakar Rally from December 31, 2022 to January 15, 2023 for the first time with an innovative fuel.

“At Audi, we are pursuing a consistent strategy of decarbonization,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Board Member for Technical Development at Audi. “Our battery vehicles and renewable electricity are the lead technologies. To complement this, renewable fuels offer the possibility of running internal combustion engines in a more climate-friendly way. The Audi RS Q e-tron combines both systems in its innovative drive. As a result, we are now even more sustainable on the road in the toughest motorsport imaginable for electric drives.”…..more click here

Thorough preparation of the Audi drivers for the Dakar Rally

08/11/22 –  The 2023 Dakar Rally will start in just under eight weeks. Audi continues to rely on its strong line-up of Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz. The six drivers and co-drivers are looking forward to the desert classic somewhat more relaxed and better prepared than a year ago, but also full of expectation and respect.

Every kilometer counts

At the Morocco Rally in October, the three Audi Sport driver crews had a perfect opportunity to return to competitive rhythm. Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger have reeled off by far the most kilometers this year. After the Dakar Rally in January, they contested the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge together – and clinched the Audi RS Q e-tron’s first victory there. Tests in Europe and Africa were followed by the Morocco Rally. Mattias Ekström saw an old experience confirmed there: “The processes are different in the race than in a test where you keep returning to your garage. In the desert, you’re on your own. That helps.” The most recent step came for the two Swedes at the Morocco Rally. “That’s when it ‘clicked’ and we understood how those who make the roadbook think,” reports Emil Bergkvist. “Since then, Mattias and I understand it better and rally driving is even more fun.”

Grown team, good cohesion

Carlos Sainz with co-driver Lucas Cruz as well as Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger already know Team Q Motorsport from the time before Audi started the rally project. Sven Quandt’s experienced squad has been contesting desert rallies for almost three decades, has won the Dakar Rally six times and many titles in cross country rallying. Together with Team Audi Sport, the squad from Trebur fields all three Audi RS Q e-tron cars. A good relationship in the cockpit of the three prototypes is a prerequisite for success…..more click here

Heat, dust and tire changes: A lot of work for Audi Sport at the Morocco Rally

07/10/22 –  Learning at a high level: At the Morocco Rally, the new Audi RS Q e-tron completed its competition debut from October 1 to 6. For Audi Sport and the driver pairings Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz, it was a test under competition conditions. The three rally prototypes already comply with the 2023 regulations for the Dakar Rally and therefore started in Morocco outside the regular classification in the Open class.

“Even though we didn’t appear in the classification, every kilometer and every single day of the rally was as valuable for us as it was for the regular participants,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Rolf Michl. “On demanding stages and varied terrain we were able to test the abilities of the driver teams and the cars in every situation. For us, the rally with its extreme dunes and stony landscapes was an essential element in the preparation for the Dakar Rally.”……more click here

Morocco Rally: Audi Sport’s dress rehearsal for the Dakar

23/09/22 –  A packed schedule characterizes the second half of the year for Audi Sport: After the start of testing of the Audi RS Q e-tron E2 in Europe in July, the premiere on September 1, a subsequent nine-day endurance test in Morocco, homologation and the assembly of three cars, the first competition is now imminent. At the Morocco Rally from October 1 to 6, all three Audi Sport driver pairings – Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz – will line up at the start.

“Now, together with Q Motorsport, we at Audi Sport are switching back to race mode after an important development phase,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Rolf Michl……more click here

Audi RS Q e-tron E2: lighter, more aerodynamic and even more efficient

01/09/22 –  Second evolution of the rally winner competing for the first time in October. Fundamentally new body optimizes weight and air flow. Improved operating strategy and optimized control concept.

In March 2022, the Audi RS Q e-tron won its first desert rally in Abu Dhabi, and now the next evolution is ready. The innovative prototype presents itself significantly improved for the 2022 Morocco Rally and the 2023 Dakar Rally……more click here

Audi RS Q e-tron E2

2023 Dakar: The Sand Diagonal

05/06/22 –  There will be a new itinerary for the fourth edition of the Dakar in Saudi Arabia from December 31, 2022, to January 15, 2023 and 1st round ot the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship.

The route will take the pilots from the beaches of the Red Sea to the sands of the Arabian Gulf in Dammam. This crossing of the country will be, in fact, a complete tour as the 14 stages will first lead the Dakar to the north-western mountain regions before heading to the deep southeast for a three-day journey through ocean of dunes in the Empty Quarter……more click here

The Audi RS Q e-tron rocks Hamburg

17/05/22 –  The futuristic Audi RS Q e-tron was one of the stars at the FUTURE MOVES New Mobility Summit as part of the OMR Festival in Hamburg. With a spectacular trip from the container port to the exhibition center, Swedish Audi driver Mattias Ekström and his co-driver Emil Bergkvist generated a lot of excitement in the run-up to the event.

The OMR Festival is Europe’s largest event for digital marketing and technology, which is taking place again this year for the first time after a two-year break due to the pandemic. All of the hotel rooms in Hamburg are fully booked and the organizers expect around 70,000 visitors. New to the program is a congress on the future of mobility – a perfect stage for the Audi RS Q e-tron with its futuristic technology and absolute eye-catching appearance in the conference hall…..

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Emotional first victory in the desert: Audi RS Q e-tron wins in Abu Dhabi

10/03/22 –  Audi has once again made history in motorsport with technical innovation: Following its debut with four stage victories at the Dakar Rally in January, the Audi RS Q e-tron now clinched its first overall victory – in just its second outing. Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger have decided the second round of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship in their favor. The Frenchmen won in Abu Dhabi with an advantage of 29.49 minutes.

For the eighth time since 1996, Stéphane Peterhansel accepted a winner’s trophy at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – and at the same time his first for Audi. Together with co-driver Edouard Boulanger, the 56-year-old Frenchman led the desert rally continuously from the first stage after a flawless drive. “Congratulations to Stéphane and Edouard, to Team Audi Sport as well as our fielding partner Q Motorsport. …… more click here

Next challenge for the Audi RS Q e-tron in Abu Dhabi

25/02/22 Trebur/Neuburg a. d. Donau –  After its debut with four stage victories at the Dakar Rally in January, the Audi RS Q e-tron is facing its next challenge: From March 6 to 10, the innovative desert prototype with electric drivetrain, a high-voltage battery and the highly efficient energy converter will contest the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Team Audi Sport is fielding a car with factory drivers Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger in the second round of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship.

Stéphane Peterhansel has already won this event seven times, which today’s FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem created in 1991 under the original name UAE Desert Challenge: In 1996 the Frenchman was successful on a motorcycle for the first time, since 2002 he has clinched six wins in a car, including most recently in 2019 with his wife Andrea as co-driver. …… more click here

Audi RS Q e-tron at the Dakar Rally:
Successful start into a new era

14/01/22 Jeddah/Neuburg a. d. Donau –  The most complex race car in Audi’s history to date passed its baptism of fire at the Dakar Rally with flying colors. All three Audi RS Q e-tron cars mastered the world’s toughest off-road rally on their debut in Saudi Arabia. In total, they covered around 24,000 desert kilometers – almost three times the 8,700 test kilometers that Audi had previously completed. Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist finished ninth in Jeddah as the best Audi driver team in a demanding edition of the desert classic. With the arrival of electric mobility, Audi has ushered in a new era in off-road rallying.

“Audi has lived up to its pioneering role in the Dakar Rally right from the start,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Audi Board Member for Technical Development. “The alternative drive concept of the Audi RS Q e-tron has met all expectations with its electric drivetrain, high-voltage battery and highly efficient energy converter“ …… more click here

Half-time results at the Dakar Rally:
Three Audi RS Q e-tron prove innovative strength

Six podium finishes in the daily results, reliably working electric drive systems, full competitiveness on debut and fascination with e-mobility at the world’s toughest rally: Audi already puts an exclamation mark on the first half of the Dakar Rally with its innovative strength.

“What I have seen from our team up to the rest day of the Dakar Rally impressed me,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Audi Board Member for Technical Development. “Our team has developed the Audi RS Q e-tron in record time. Right off the bat, we are strong on a sporting level. Our drivers, co-drivers and the entire team are showing a great team performance“ …… more click here

On the threshold of a new era: Audi RS Q e-tron ahead of its first Dakar Rally

28/12/21 Neuburg a. d. Donau – Curtain up for a new chapter: The new Audi RS Q e-tron will contest its first Dakar Rally from January 1 to 14, 2022. For Audi as the inventor of quattro, TFSI, ultra, e-tron and many other future technologies in motorsport, this marks the beginning of a new era in cross-country rallying.

“The Dakar Rally is the biggest conceivable challenge for our innovative electric drive with high-voltage battery and high-efficiency energy converter,” says Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for motorsport at Audi. “Never before have we brought such a complex vehicle to the start at Audi Sport in such a short time“ …… more click here

Fully charged: The high-voltage battery in the Audi RS Q e-tron

21/12/21 Neuburg a. d. Donau – The high-voltage battery is located centrally in the drive and literally in the middle of the Audi RS Q e-tron. It embodies the heart of the innovative electric drive with energy converter. Audi intends to use it to set the next milestone in the world’s toughest rally and prove “Vorsprung durch Technik” in the desert as well.

“With our drive configuration in the RS Q e-tron, Audi is a pioneer in the Dakar Rally,” says Lukas Folie, the high-voltage battery engineer. “Defining the challenges for this type of competition was very demanding. There are simply no empirical values in motorsport for such a concept and for this type of endurance competition.”…… more click here

Staying cool: Complex cooling systems for the Dakar Rally in the Audi RS Q e-tron

14/12/21 Neuburg a. d. Donau – The futuristic exterior of the Audi RS Q e-tron perfectly reflects its advanced concept with electric all-wheel drive and an energy converter. In order to perfectly temper the complex and in some cases highly stressed systems, Audi has implemented an elaborate cooling system.

“Audi has never contested the Dakar Rally before. The first question we asked ourselves was: How do we get the heat out of the car?”, says Sebastian Fröber, the engineer responsible for the cooling systems, summarizing the central question regarding cooling. “We started with CFD simulations for the aerodynamics of the overall vehicle. Then we designed the individual cooling systems.”…… more click here

High-tech control center in the desert: the cockpit of the Audi RS Q e-tron for the Dakar Rally

07/12/21 Neuburg a. d. Donau – A look inside the Audi RS Q e-tron should remind any car fan of an airplane cockpit: screens and displays are spread across the entire width of the instrument panel. Only with their help can the driver and co-driver cover thousands of kilometers in the desert quickly and successfully.

Originally, there was a clear division of tasks in cross-country rallying: the driver drives, the co-driver navigates. These roles have long since changed: The regulations limit navigational tasks to very precise options and rules. The former paper roadbook for the track is now digital. And the Audi RS Q e-tron redistributes various functions between drivers and co-drivers with its operating concept. …… more click here

To the limit and beyond: Audi tests again for the Dakar Rally in Morocco

16/11/21 Neuburg a. d. Donau – Audi Sport took another step towards the Dakar Rally in the second week of November. At the second test in Morocco, Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist, Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz took turns in the cockpit of the Audi RS Q e-tron.

High-speed tracks, gravel roads, dune mountains, dried-out river beds: Audi’s innovative prototype for the Dakar Rally was spared nothing during its second test in Morocco. Within an extremely tight project timeframe of little more than twelve months, the team has developed the RS Q e-tron to such an extent that it can now handle daily off-road distances in testing equalling the length of a Dakar stage. …… more click here

100 days to go until the Dakar Rally

23/09/21 Neuburg a. d. Donau – In 100 days from now, the 44th edition of the famous Dakar Rally will kick off. For Audi Sport, this marks the beginning of a real race against time.

Audi is tackling one of the greatest challenges in international motorsport, quite deliberately using a unique concept. The Audi RS Q e-tron has an electric powertrain with two motor-generator units (MGUs) from Formula E. While the vehicle is in motion, the high-voltage battery is charged by an energy converter consisting of the efficient TFSI engine from the DTM and another MGU …… more click here

Audi RS Q e-tron

Heat and sandstorms: Morocco test for the Audi RS Q e-tron

18/09/21 Neuburg a. d. Donau – On the way to its debut in the famous Dakar Rally in January 2022, Audi Sport has tested the Audi RS Q e-tron for almost two weeks in Morocco under the most extreme conditions.

After testing in Germany and Spain, the team headed for the desert and the dunes for the first time in the heat of Morocco. Once again, all three driver crews were involved. Dakar record winner Stéphane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz and Mattias Ekström took turns at the wheel of the highly complex prototype …… more click here

Audi RS Q e-tron: Test laboratory for possible future technologies at the Dakar Rally

23/07/21 Neuburg a. d. Donau – Clear the stage for an electrifying high-tech test laboratory: just under a year after the initial concept idea, Audi Sport has started testing the new Audi RS Q e-tron, with which Audi will take on one of the greatest challenges there is in international racing in January 2022: the Dakar Rally.

Unique: Audi wants to be the first car manufacturer to use an electrified drivetrain in combination with an efficient energy converter to compete for overall victory against conventionally-powered competitors in the world’s toughest rally …… more click here

Audi with “Dream Team” at the Dakar Rally

31/05/21 Neuburg a. d. Donau – Audi is the first car manufacturer to fight for the overall victory in the famous Rally Dakar with an electrified powertrain, thus also heralding an energy revolution in cross-country rallying. Audi Sport has succeeded in recruiting three illustrious driver teams for the ambitious project.

Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist (Sweden), Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger (France) and Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (Spain) will compete for Audi in the world’s toughest rally from January 2nd to 14th, 2022. “It’s no exaggeration to speak of a ‘dream team’,” says Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for motorsport. “ …… more click here

Édouard Boulanger, Stéphane Peterhansel, Lucas Cruz, Emil Bergkvist, Carlos Sainz, Mattias Ekström

Dakar 2022: Focus on sand and dunes

12/05/21 Trebur – Saudi Arabia is once again the host country for the coming Dakar. In recent years, the route has taken the Dakar across the entire country – in 2022, the focus is on the so-called Empty Quarter. The region in the south of the country consists solely of sand and dunes, and is set to push the navigators to their limits.

The 2022 Dakar starts on 1st January with a prologue in Ha’il. The drivers then embark on the opening stage the following day. From Ha’il, the competitors drive to the Empty Quarter, before heading to the Saudi capital Riyadh for the rest day on 8th January. They then return to the south and on to the city of Jeddah, where the crews will roll across the finish ramp on 14th January. More destinations on the Dakar route will be announced over the coming months …… more click here

Dakar 2022 – The Route

Road to Dakar: Audi electrifies the desert

02/04/21 Neuburg a. d. Donau – Audi has made important steps on the way to its debut in the famous Dakar Rally in January 2022. The concept of the innovative prototype for the world’s toughest cross-country rally has almost been concluded.

The first tests are planned for the middle of the year. Project management for the company’s factory motorsport commitments has been taken over by Andreas Roos, who was most recently responsible for the successful DTM program at Audi Sport. “With the Dakar project, we at Audi remain true to our philosophy of using new technologies in motorsport for the first time that are groundbreaking for future road cars,” says Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH …… more click here

Andreas Roos, Sven Quandt, Julius Seebach

Q Motorsport becomes Audi factory team

11/12/20 Neuburg a. d. Donau – Audi will compete in the Dakar Rally for the first time with an innovative prototype in 2022. The race in the world’s toughest cross-country rally will be carried out in cooperation with the newly-founded Q Motorsport GmbH based in Trebur (Germany).

“By cooperating with Q Motorsport, we are sticking to our philosophy that has proven itself at Audi over many years,” says Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for motorsport at Audi. “The development of the Dakar prototype with its innovative drivetrain concept is being carried out in-house. We are contesting the race together with an experienced partner. The Q Motorsport team contributes an enormous amount of specific experience from cross-country motorsport.” …… more click here

Dakar Prototype

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The world is changing and the Cross Country Motorsport must also prove that it can be sustainable and continue to point the way forward. This is exactly what Q Motorsport wants to demonstrate and to break new ground in cross-country motorsport.