Audi RS Q e-tron

This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.

This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.

03/10/2022 Reading Time: 1 min

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge: First victory of the Audi RS Q e-tron

 
Audi has once again made history in motorsport with technical innovation: Following its debut with four stage victories at the Dakar Rally in January, the Audi RS Q e-tron¹ now clinched its first overall victory – in just its second outing. Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger have decided the second round of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship in their favor. The Frenchmen won in Abu Dhabi with an advantage of 29.49 minutes.

¹This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.

¹This vehicle is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.

This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.

This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.

Stéphane Peterhansel, Edouard Boulanger at the finish

Bei diesem Fahrzeug handelt es sich um das Rallye-Dakar-Rennfahrzeug; dieses wird nicht zum Kauf angeboten.

This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.

“Breakthrough for our innovation”

For the eighth time since 1996, Stéphane Peterhansel accepted a winner’s trophy at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – and at the same time his first for Audi. Together with co-driver Edouard Boulanger, the 56-year-old Frenchman led the desert rally continuously from the first stage after a flawless drive. “Congratulations to Stéphane and Edouard, to Team Audi Sport as well as our fielding partner Q Motorsport. They have achieved a breakthrough for our innovations with this success,” said Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for motorsport at Audi. “We developed the Audi RS Q e-tron¹ in record time. Now, for the first time, a car with an electric powertrain² has won a desert rally. That makes me proud. A victory on the second start against the two best contenders of January’s Dakar Rally – winner Nasser Al-Attiyah and record World Champion and Monte Carlo winner Sébastien Loeb – is an outstanding result. It was remarkable that our concept prevailed in even tougher conditions than in January.”

¹This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.

²The Audi RS Q e-tron combines an electric drivetrain with an energy converter system based on the TFSI engine and a generator.

¹This vehicle is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.

²The Audi RS Q e-tron combines an electric drivetrain with an energy converter system based on the TFSI engine and a generator.

Audi RS Q e-tron

Extreme heat

At least two factors noticeably increased the loads: Significantly higher outside temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius in the shade and even higher values in the desert increased the rolling resistance in the soft sand and, as expected, pushed the cooling circuits to their limits. Nevertheless, the alternative drive concept with its combination of electric powertrain with a high-voltage battery as well as the highly efficient energy converter always worked reliably. The Audi RS Q e-tron¹ managed the entire distance without complaint. The rally also differed significantly from the Dakar Rally in terms of geology: Long and unpredictable dune passages characterized the five stages with a total length of more than 1,800 kilometers.

¹This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.

¹This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.

“Our pace was right”

“It wasn’t easy to find the right rhythm on the sometimes very treacherous broken dunes,” reported Stéphane Peterhansel. “Our pace was right and we didn’t take too many risks. Once again, the Audi RS Q e-tron¹ was a lot of fun.” The example of the competition showed how complicated the terrain was: As early as on the first day, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Sébastien Loeb lost all chances of good overall results due to damage to their cars.

 

A puncture on the second day was the only unscheduled stop for Team Audi Sport. Therefore, the lead of 9.30 minutes after the first stage was reduced to 7.49 minutes. After a setback for another opponent on the third stage Peterhansel/Boulanger continuously extended their advantage.

¹This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.

¹This vehicle is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model.

Team Audi Sport

Next event in Spain

Following the historic first success of the Audi RS Q e-tron¹, Team Audi Sport is pushing ahead with the development of the prototype and preparing for the next event in parallel. The Andalucia Rally is on the agenda from June 6 to 12. A qualifying stage and five legs of 200 to 300 kilometers each await the participants in the south of Spain in the middle of the year.

¹This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model

¹This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge: Results documents to download

Rally

2 pages

PDF

654.5 KB

Daily Inside Dakar Show

Abu Dhabi
Desert
Challenge

Stéphane Peterhansel
Audi RS Q e-tron
Team Audi Sport

This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.

This vehicle shown here is the Rally Dakar vehicle that is not available as a production model. Closed course, professional driver. Do not attempt.

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