Three years ago, Audi had never competed in Rally Raid, the hardcore, Ironman-loving sibling of stage rally, let alone the iconic but gruelling two-week-long Dakar Rally.

But Audi, having pushed boundaries and conquered multiple motorsport disciplines throughout its history (including endurance racing and Le Mans, rallying, DTM, IMSA and Formula E) wasn’t afraid of a challenge. In fact, it fancied making one of the toughest races in the world tougher.

The project aimed to be the first car manufacturer to use an electrified drivetrain in combination with an efficient energy converter to compete for overall victory against conventionally powered competitors in the world’s toughest rally. No mean feat, especially as it’s only had three years to bring this brain-melting complex motorsport programme together. From nothing.

But on January 19 2024, Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz secured Audi’s first victory in the Dakar Rally. It’s the first time a car with electrified drive has won the world’s toughest desert rally. Here’s how the famous four rings made motorsport history

*This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt. The Audi RS Q e-tron combines an electric drivetrain with an energy converter system comprising a TFSI engine and generator.
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