Carlos Sainz Sr put in a commendable performance in the 2024 Dakar Rally to claim Audi’s first victory in the prestigious marathon.
Sainz led almost the entire way in the 46th edition of Dakar in Saudi Arabia, eventually claiming the overall victory by 1hr20m25s over the Overdrive Toyota of Guillaume de Mevius.
The Spaniard didn’t win a single individual stage for only the third time in his Dakar career, which dates back to his first outing with Volkswagen in 2006, but he was able to outshine his rivals with a series of consistent drives as he avoided the misfortunes that beset his main rivals.
Loeb was back within 13 minutes of Sainz on the penultimate day when he hit a rock after landing from a crest, damaging his suspension.
the nine-time WRC champion had to wait for more than an hour until another Prodrive customer entry arrived on the scene and had the spare parts he needed to repair his car.
That allowed de Mevius to secure a second-place finish in his maiden outing in the Dakar’s Ultimate/T1+ class, as Loeb had to settle for the final spot on the podium despite winning five of the 12 stages, including Friday’s finale.
