Carlos Sainz, alone with Clarín before the start of the 2023 Dakar Rally: “Audi is an engineering jewel, it’s a challenge for me”

The dining room of the Sea Camp, the first camp Dakar this 45th edition, It is huge. About 3,000 people pass through there, making up this traveling city which is starting to fill up and which from the weekend will travel Saudi Arabia from here, on the shores of the Red Sea, to Dammam, on the Persian Gulf, on January 15th.

And just as there are hundreds of anonymous illustrious, there are also the glories and legends of the Dakar, tray in hand, looking for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And in the middle of the queue to choose whether to eat pasta or a typical local salad, based on a kind of cucumber in tomato sauce, there is a Charles Sainz. The matador The Spaniard, the one who shone in the 1990s in the World Rally Championship and who today, in addition to being the father of the Ferrari driver in Formula 1, is one of the great winners of the Dakar.

Audi surprises the world of motorsport with its electrified hybrid version of a prototype that amazed with its presentation in 2022, but which is going “everything” this year, compared to traditional combustion vehicles.

Together with the Dakar record holder, the Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel (has 14 victories, six on motorbikes and eight on cars) e Mattias Ekstrom.

With great kindness, Sainz accepted the dialogue, in the last hours of calm, given that the prologue of the Dakar will be held on Saturday.

-You are a very experienced driver in the world of Motorsport and in the Dakar in particular. What are the differences in running the Dakar between Africa, South America and now Saudi Arabia?

-When I raced in Africa it was on a rocky and rocky surface, the part that contained Morocco. Then in the Mali area with slopes and dunes. Desert was the hardest. Compared to Argentina, or the rest of South America, there was more variety. But the DNA of the Dakar does not change. It was very hot and that made it something special, with over 45 degrees. And in Bolivia with the height.

-There was no Dakar that combined all these characteristics together in South America.

-It was not possible to do a Dakar with a good mix with the best of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia or Peru, with so many types of terrain in one race.

-And in Saudi Arabia?

-Saudi Arabia is very similar to Africa, due to terrain types. The Empty Quarter is full of desert, but there will be a lot of stones and complex navigation at the beginning. Last year was one of the poorest Dakars I’ve attended, unlike the first two years which were very busy. The number of dropouts will certainly mark it in this next edition.

-At 60, many are surprised by such a high conductivity level, and others ask when retirement will come. How do you live with both positions?

-It is common for some to wonder when I stop running because of how old I am. But ages are just a date, nothing more. I always analyze after each race if I can resist, if I’m having fun, if I look competitive. Of course, as time goes by, preparing for a Dakar costs more. It is difficult to measure reflexes or stamina. For example, this year in strength analysis I did better this year than last year.

-Then?

-You have to be honest with yourself and ask yourself if I can beat her because of the pace and if she can hold on. For now I’m competitive against those who have the same technical material.

-There are some criticisms that are also unholy.

-There are also people who with a certain malice ask it on purpose on social networks. However, a brand like Audi calls me to grow and compete in the Dakar, which is in itself a test to stay competitive.

-How can you summarize the prototype that Audi uses in the Dakar?

-Audi is an engineering gem. It’s a tremendously complex machine, very daring, because it has a wonderful work behind it. On a personal level it is a great challenge that I face, because I work with a new technology, practically without brake pads because they turn off the engines, with a virtual differential, with almost no connection between the rear and the front, where there are no gears because everything is direct , and with some all new parameters. It is state of the art with electric motors, lots of torque, incredible acceleration and then speed limits of 170km/h. Obviously you walk a lot between 70 and 170 km/h than accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h. I had to learn with a series of parameters other than those known

-You have a great career in motorsport, but for many, especially the younger ones, you became the father of Carlos Sainz Jr., the Ferrari Formula 1 driver. How do you do it?

-It is a pride to have my son in Ferrari. I try to follow my son’s times by phone in practice, in qualifying, in the race. It is possible that he will come to the Dakar this year to see it. I am very happy that you are coming to see your father. When he was 6 years old he came to see me at the Rally de Catalunya, and it would be very nice if the experience were repeated now.

How is the Audi RS Q e-tron, the car of Carlos Sainz

Last March, the Audi RS Q e-tron won his first desert rally in Abu Dhabi. Now its next evolution is ready: this innovative prototype was presented with significant improvements at the 2022 Morocco Rally, already in view of the 2023 Dakar Rally.

The completely redesigned bodywork features a optimized aerodynamics and contributes significantly to reduce weight Y lower the center of gravity. The new strategy for its operation further improves the efficiency of the electric drivetrain.

In the cockpit, or when a wheel needs to be replaced, the driver and co-driver benefit from easier handling. Following these improvements, the RS Q e-tron now bears the E2 designation, in remembrance of the legendary Audi Sport Quattro in its final stage of development for Group B rallies in the 1980s.

The propulsion system of the Audi RS Q e-tron E2 is supplemented by an energy converter consisting of an internal combustion engine and a generator, a high-voltage battery and two electric motors located one on each axle.

In managing the energy of such a sophisticated power unit, a crucial role is played by the electronic control system, which has already established itself in competitions.

Yangbu, Saudi Arabia. Special delivery.