Peterhansel: “The Audi hybrid project is so innovative that the motivation remains”

He was said to be leaving for a well-deserved retirement after having brought back Peugeot to victory on the Dakar in 2017. Rebelote in January 2021 where an eighth title in the Auto category with Mini allowed him to become the first pilot to win the rally-raid on all territories visited (Africa, South America and Saudi Arabia). But Stéphane Peterhansel is not ready to spend the New Year at home with his family; rather with his co-pilot Édouard Boulanger.

“Mr. Dakar” left full of energy thanks to the proposal ofAudi to hire a hybrid vehicle, equipped with four electric motors of Formula E and a TFSI gasoline engine from the DTM. At 56 years old, innovation fascinates him!

“I could have stopped during the last Dakar, recognizes Peterhansel during a press conference in Jeddah, city ​​of departure of the event. It was good timing because I had just won the Dakar on three different continents, which was unprecedented. But the project set up by Audi (in association with Sven Quandt, the boss of the X-Raid team. Editor’s note) was so interesting, so innovative, that the motivation remained. It's a very ambitious project with a solid team behind us. I am very curious to see what the future holds for the discipline. »

Dressed all in black, the German 4×4 offers a new driving experience for the experienced French driver. “I was very surprised by the behavior of the RS Q e-tron. It is very easy to drive, you have excellent response to the accelerator pedal and instant torque. I was also surprised by the ease with which the vehicle swallowed the dunes. In addition, I don't have to worry about changing gears, it frees me from concentration when driving because I can keep both hands on the wheel. Electronic management is also very interesting. »

However, Stéphane Peterhansel has not competed in any race since… the 2021 Dakar. It must be said that development testing only began in the second half of the year! “Everyone has done their best over the last few months. Arriving here to start is already a victory in itself. This year, victory is very complicated, you have to be realistic. On the other hand, the car must be able to win in 2023, that's very clear, even if I don't know yet if I'll be there. With a standard engine (diesel or gasoline), it's already complicated to arrive on the Dakar without a preparation race, but with this hybrid technology, the difficulty is increased tenfold. As for 2022, a final ranking in the top 5 would be satisfactory. »