Follow usCarlos Sainz, the 61-year-old father of Ferrari’s Formula One driver, who is named after him, clinched his fourth Dakar Rally title in Saudi Arabia on Friday, while Audi secured their first victory in the car category.
In the challenging 46th edition of the race, American Honda rider Ricky Brabec claimed his second victory in the motorcycling category. Sainz concluded the 12th and final stage in Yanbu along the Red Sea coast, boasting a commanding lead of one hour, 20 minutes, and 25 seconds over Belgian driver Guillaume de Mevius from Overdrive Toyota. France’s Sebastien Loeb secured the third position. Despite being Sainz’s primary competitor, Loeb’s aspirations were dashed by mechanical issues on Thursday. Nevertheless, he triumphed in the final stage driving a Prodrive Hunter for the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team.
Sainz’s Dakar victories now span four different manufacturers: Volkswagen in 2010, Peugeot in 2018, Mini in 2020, and this recent triumph without claiming victory in any individual stages. Notably, Audi, with a focus on the Dakar since 2022, became the first to secure a car category win with an electric drivetrain, marking a significant milestone. It is widely anticipated that Audi will shift its attention to their new Formula One project following this success.
