Dakar 2024 – Carlos Sainz, the signs of a falsely calm leader

When he returns to the bivouac, each evening, Carlos Sainz is impassive. Even, a tad grumpy. At the beginning of Dakar Rally 2024, we wondered if the Spaniard's behavior had nothing to do with the foreign press. Answers to our questions short and closed, no smiles and little room for spontaneity: “El Matador” has not improved over time.

So, we wanted to try the side of the character with the Spanish journalists, who were very numerous on this Dakar. However, Carlos Sainz is hardly more friendly with his compatriots! It's part of his character. With the media, the double world rally champion doesn't really have a moment to share. It is rather an obligatory passage.

The stages go by and Carlos Sainz's face does not light up. Worse, there is an increasingly tense climate in Audi hospitality. The 61-year-old from Madrid undoubtedly feels the pressure of an entire manufacturer on his shoulders. He is the only survivor of the trio he makes up with Stéphane Peterhansel and Mattias Ekström to be able to bring the Rings a victory that they have been seeking since 2022.

 

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Audi has spent millions of euros lavishly on the development of a hybrid 4x4. Its three electric motors from the Formula E and its generator derived from a turbo gasoline engine of DTM make it a gas plant difficult to maintain within an optimal use window over the entire duration of a Dakar special, the longest motorsport event there is. It is hardly surprising that it was necessary to wait until the third participation for the German giant to be able to join the fight for victory in a regular and indisputable manner.

ALSO READ > Dakar 2024 – Before Sébastien Loeb and Carlos Sainz, how did these other fierce duels end?

Unfortunately, this Dakar 2024, which could correspond with the first triumph for Audi on the Dakar, would also be its last for a long time. Indeed, Audi Sport rejected the idea of ​​extending the program rally-raid, even in the event of triumph on January 19 in Yanbu (Saudi Arabia). The entry project into Formula 1, set for 2026, takes too many human resources to run these two hares at once. Moreover, a good number of the engineers and computer scientists responsible for managing the power unit of the Audi RS Q e-tron E2 have already left, as Stéphane Peterhansel revealed to us before departure, at the beginning of January .

Another element which puts a dose of pressure on the shoulders of Carlos Sainz: Sébastien Loeb. The sixty-year-old knows full well that he finds himself battling an opponent renowned for his sense of attack. The Alsatian will not give up until the finish line, and his driving vision is exceptional. Furthermore, he has never won the Dakar: his desire to win is immense, fueled by several failures since his arrival in the desert in 2016.

Furthermore, the man with three Dakar victories lacked composure at the finish of the 10th stage. In front of the cameras of La Chaîne L'Équipe, he did not hesitate to explain himself to Romain Dumas and Max Delfino (Toyota), guilty according to him of having hindered him while he was trying to overtake them. An anger which proves that serenity is undermined, despite decades of experience in a passenger compartment.

This stage was marked by three punctures for the Spaniard. The Audi is a heavier vehicle than the competition due to its on-board technology and the risks of puncturing a tire are therefore significant, if the pace of passage in stony sectors is not appropriate for the terrain.

Carlos Sainz quite angry at the finish of this tenth stage, particularly towards Max Delfino, co-driver of Romain Dumas.

The Frenchman explains that the Spaniard, overall leader, came to complain to him because he felt embarrassed behind them. # Dakar2024 pic.twitter.com/WFkdGehALR

— la chaine L'Équipe (@lachainelequipe) January 17, 2024

Finally, the last element that may worry him concerns the lack of margin in the general classification. Thirteen minutes is almost nothing in the world of rally raids. A puncture, and it’s already three minutes gone. There are still nearly 600 km to go on these final two specials, the equivalent of two rounds. WRC ! To complete everything, the stage scheduled for this Thursday, between Al-Ula and Yanbu largely repeats the 2nd stage of the Dakar 2023 which had caused so much damage due to protruding stones. Although, this course could reassure Carlos Sainz. Last year, he set the 3rd best time there and left Sébastien Loeb by an hour…