Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz (Audi RS Q e-tron) face the final stretch of the Dakar Rally 2024 as solid leaders of the race. In today’s stage, with a long 417-kilometer special stage, Audi had an exceptional team day and the three Audi RS Q e-tron Audi drivers drove together to the finish line with the Spanish drivers in the lead.

Sebastien Loeb (Bahrain) won the stage, continuing his attacks on the Spanish driver to unseat him from the first position, but the intelligent race of Sainz and Cruz has once again diminished the French driver’s hopes, as the Spaniards finished the day in second position, conceding only a little more than four minutes. His gap at the front of the Dakar is now twenty and a half minutes.

Carlos Sainz: “Yet another stage. I’m happy to have finished one of the difficult stages of the rally without major problems. This one had a first part of sand and the second we went through some huge rocks, doing many times trial and it was difficult to find the track. But Lucas did a good job and in the end we only lost four minutes and a bit. One day less of race”.

Tomorrow’s stage
Stage 9: AlUla > AlUla Link > 241 km – Special > 371 km
This is a loop that will require a slalom between the monumental rocks of the AlUla region. It is a true track game, with many options to take advantage of opponents’ mistakes.