Dakar Rally 2023
In 2022, an electric drive from Audi with a high-voltage battery and energy converter had to prove itself for the first time in the world’s toughest desert rally. The Audi RS Q e-tron won four stages at the Dakar Rally at the first attempt. The second start is scheduled for 2023. In addition to new technology, Audi is also focusing on a significantly reduced environmental footprint through a new fuel blend.
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Phone +49 841 89 35550
Mobile +49 152 57713467
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Press releases
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Mattias Ekström wins Race of Champions
Mattias Ekström has once again demonstrated his world class and versatility: In his Swedish homeland, the rally and circuit pro driver won the “Race of Champions”, a traditional competition between the world’s best motorsport drivers, on an icy track. The two-time DTM champion and rallycross world champion had particularly emotional words for his opponent in the final, Mick Schumacher, whom Ekström defeated despite a short burst of smoke in his race car. -
Team Audi Sport with good individual results and setbacks at the Dakar Rally
The effort paid off: Team Audi Sport shaped the 2023 Dakar Rally with innovation and performance right up to the end despite various setbacks. The Audi RS Q e-tron with its electric drive concept scored a total of 14 podium results on 15 event days including the prologue. In addition, the Audi drivers led the rally in Saudi Arabia with the prototype for three days for the first time. However, a series of punctures, the accident-related retirements of Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz and Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger as well as a massive loss of time for Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist prevented a better result than 14th place. -
Team Audi Sport remains motivated for second half of Dakar Rally
For Team Audi Sport, the first half of the 2023 Dakar Rally was an emotionally intense mix: Two stage victories and the Audi RS Q e-tron’s first three days in the lead at the world’s toughest rally were offset by setbacks for all three driver teams. Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist were leading in Saudi Arabia after the prologue, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz on the two following days. However, different damage on the hard stages threw them far back. Stéphane Peterhansel/Edouard Boulanger were in second place after the fourth special stage but dropped out two days later due to an accident. -
Audi sets sights on podium at Dakar Rally
Revolutionizing the sport in an energy-efficient way and being among the best in the process: Audi has set itself no lesser task for the RS Q e-tron’s second outing in the Dakar Rally. Head of Audi Sport Rolf Michl has set Team Audi Sport a clear goal: After four stage victories were possible at the first attempt in the first appearance last January, the aim from December 31, 2022 to January 15, 2023 is to achieve a podium result in the overall standings for the innovative prototype with its electric drive, energy converter and high-voltage battery. The concept won the Racecar Powertrain of the Year Award in December from a panel of experts from Race Tech magazine. -
Award for the Audi RS Q e-tron
An additional motivational boost for Team Audi Sport shortly before its second outing in the Dakar Rally (December 31, 2022 to January 15, 2023): The innovative Audi RS Q e-tron has won one of the most important prizes that is awarded within the motorsport industry. -
Rolf Michl: “An exciting challenge”
Since September 1, Rolf Michl has been responsible for motorsport at Audi and is Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH. The 44-year-old manager talks about the Dakar Rally, the complementation of the right and left hemispheres of the brain, the emotions that motorsport arouses in him, and his expectations and goals for the desert rally. -
Audi RS Q e-tron saves more than 60 percent carbon dioxide at the 2023 Dakar Rally
Already at its Dakar debut, the Audi RS Q e-tron set standards in efficiency and competitiveness of e-mobility in motorsport in January 2022. Now the next step follows: The three desert prototypes with electric drive and energy converter will be at the start of the next edition of the Dakar Rally from December 31, 2022 to January 15, 2023 for the first time with an innovative fuel.
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Basic Information: Audi at the Dakar Rally
The Audi RS Q e-tron won four stages at the Dakar Rally at the first attempt. The second start is scheduled for 2023. In addition to new technology, Audi is also focusing on a significantly reduced environmental footprint through a new fuel blend.
