Biography Lucas Cruz

The veteran

Lucas Cruz has won the Dakar Rally as a co-driver three times so far. Each time, the Spaniard worked alongside Carlos Sainz. The Spanish duo has been contesting rally raids together for twelve years now.

The two met in 1994, when Carlos was in charge of a project to promote young Spanish rally drivers. “I was one of the participants,” Lucas Cruz reports. It was the time when ‘El Matador’ was one of the leading drivers in the World Rally Championship. Carlos Sainz has long since also called his co-driver a “friend”. Because: “I really trust Lucas and like him a lot.”

For Lucas Cruz, understanding and trust are crucial to the success of a driver and co-driver in rally raids. “There is always high tension in the cockpit at these marathons, because just a small mistake by either of us can lead to major damage,” explains Lucas Cruz. This high tension sometimes leads to friction between the driver and co-driver: “We often have to decide within milliseconds which route to take. Sometimes things go wrong and that naturally causes stress. But, fundamentally, we have a good balance with each other and always find our way back to each other.”

Carlos Sainz confirms to his co-driver: “Outsiders can’t imagine what it’s like in a rally car on some stages. That makes it all the more important for the driver and co-driver to maintain their relationship outside the cockpit.” Mistakes are part of life everywhere, adds Sainz. “When mistakes happen, we have to be able to quickly turn a new page afterwards, especially in a rally car. We always have to keep on working and fighting to the end.”

Despite some stressful moments: “The communication with Carlos is really good. We have a very strong partnership, know each other well, spend a lot of time at tests and races, and there is a good spirit.” At least for Lucas Cruz, since he took over the job of navigator alongside Sainz in mid-2009. “Carlos is more of a friend than a colleague to me,” says Cruz. He compares their relationship, which has grown over so many years, to that of an old married couple: “You usually know exactly what’s going on in the other person’s head at any given moment.”

This is all the more important when the stress increases. And this year the Spaniard is expecting particularly tough tasks: “The highlight of the rally will be the stages in a somewhat hotter area with higher dunes, which is why we are also carrying out our training preparations in somewhat higher temperatures. However, we can’t do that outdoors, but only with indoor training. The 2023 Dakar Rally will be longer than before and we will spend four more days in the desert. That will be tough for all of us.”

Various innovations for the 2023 Dakar Rally mean increased challenges for the co-driver as well. For example, the participants are to drive different routes per day for the first time. “Then the reference lines of many other participants will be missing,” Cruz knows. The high dune mountains in the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia bring yet another quality into play: “If we have to maintain a compass course in such sections, that is definitely demanding. Maintaining a straight course through sand mountains like that requires a good sense of direction.”

But all this obviously spurs the navigator on even more. His passion remains high even after many decades in the sport. So high, in fact, that weeks before the Dakar Rally he half-jokingly admits: “I’m currently living in two places: My body is still at home, while my mind is already in Saudi Arabia. That’s not exactly easy for the rest of the people around me.”

Lucas Cruz shares this enthusiasm with his driver, whose mood he describes thus: “Inspiring, because he is always full of passion at the wheel, but nevertheless always remains very calm and relaxed,” Cruz answers. Particularly important for him: “If I need time to analyze and figure out the best solution, Carlos understands that and trusts me.”

Cruz says there is another thing that particularly distinguishes his helmsman: “Carlos is a super-professional motorsport participant. His goal is always excellence. At all times, he tries to get the best out of himself, his co-driver, his car, his team, everything.” Carlos Sainz, he says, always demands that everyone involved gives their best, everywhere. Always with one focus: to win.

Biography
Lucas Cruz (E)

Date of birth: December 26, 1974
Place of birth: Barcelona (E)
Place of residence: Caldes de Montbui (E)
Marital status: single, one daughter (Edurne)
Height/weight: 1.79 m/78 kg
Motorsport since: 1994 (Audi co-driver since 2021)

Career as a co-driver:

1994–2000 Rally co-driver
2001 Dakar Rally (driver José-Luis Monterde)
2006 Dakar Rally (driver Jean Pujol – Truck category)
2007 Dakar Rally (driver Nani Roma)
2009 Dakar Rally (driver Nani Roma), 1st place Silk Way Rally, 1st place Rally dos Sertoes (driver Carlos Sainz each time)
2010 1st place Dakar Rally, 1st Silk Way Rally (driver in each case Carlos Sainz)
2011 3rd place Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz)
2012 Dakar Rally (driver Nasser Al-Attiyah)
2013 Dakar Rally (driver Nasser Al-Attiyah)
2014 3rd place Dakar Rally (driver Nasser Al-Attiyah)
2015 Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz)
2016 Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz)
2017 Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz)
2018 1st place Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz)
2019 13th place Dakar Rally, 2nd place Morocco Rally, 2nd place Baja Sharqiyah (driver Carlos Sainz in each case).
2020 1st place Dakar Rally, 2nd place Baja Hail 1, 1st place Baja Hail 2 (driver Carlos Sainz in each case)
2021 3rd place Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz), Audi Dakar Project
2022 12th place Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz) (Audi RS Q e-tron)

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