Audi RS Q e-tron Aims For Podium Glory At Dakar Rally

Team Audi Sport has set itself a challenging goal for the upcoming Dakar Rally: an overall podium finish. The first Audi RS Q e-tron suffered some reliability issues unrelated to its powertrain, yet was still able to record stage wins in its first Dakar outing. Now that the second evolution of the electrified racer has been heavily revised and dropped a lot of weight, bringing improved ergonomics and easier repairs, Audi should be able to challenge at the front. It will not be all smooth sailing, as some sections of the rally will be more challenging than before, and many other Dakar entrants have improved their racers too, but the team remains cautiously optimistic that its new package will prove even more impressive than the first attempt.

Also noteworthy is that the four-cylinder turbocharged engine that acts as a generator to power the battery will run on reFuels (renewable fuels) for the first time. Based on biogenic plant matter that does not compete with food, the reFuels "help reduce CO2 emissions by more than 60%."

70% of the Saudi Arabian route is new to the drivers, and at 350-500 kilometers (roughly 217-310 miles), the organizers have made the stages between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf longer and more difficult than last year. Sven Quandt of Q Motorsport noted that this year's route "contains really high dunes," adding that it remains to be seen how good Audi's opponents are: "None of them showed their full capabilities in 2022. Maybe we won't see who is really strong until two, three, or four days later in January."

The team boss also recounted how a year ago, the cars had to be shipped by plane because they were completed so late. This year, despite an all-new body and numerous performance and reliability improvements, the cars have already been sent by ship.