Two incidents for Audi at the Dakar Rally

The seventh day of the 2023 Dakar Rally was a black Friday for Audi: On the stage from Ha’il to Riyadh,Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz and Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger were separately very unlucky going over a dune after 212 kilometers. Peterhansel was in the lead when his co-driver complained of back pain after a hard landing. A helicopter took Edouard Boulanger to hospital, where doctors diagnosed an injury, but no permanent damage is expected. The Frenchman will now be flown out to Germany to undergo further treatment by specialists. Peterhansel remained uninjured. Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz damaged the suspension of their Audi RS Q e-tron at the same dune in a separate incident but remained uninjured. For safety reasons, a high-voltage expert from the race truck also monitored the work as their car was provisionally repaired in the stage. “The entire team wishes Edouard a speedy recovery,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Rolf Michl after the accidents. “Already a year ago, we experienced a difficult first week at the Dakar Rally. Still, it’s possible for Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist to compete all the way to the finish for the podium result that we’re aiming for. And if Carlos and Lucas can continue after the repairs, they are good for stage wins at any time.”