Ask any automobile enthusiast about the toughest rally in the world and there’s only one name that pops up first – Dakar. The Dakar Rally tests the mettle both the man and the machine. The reason why manufacturers want to take part in this rally and show the whole world their aspirations and ruggedness. Audi, the German luxury carmaker is soon going to be a part of the Dakar rally as it has announced that it will compete in the Dakar Rally for the first time with an innovative prototype in 2022.
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The race in the world’s toughest cross-country rally will be carried out in cooperation with the newly-founded Q Motorsport GmbH based in Trebur (Germany).
“By cooperating with Q Motorsport, we are sticking to our philosophy that has proven itself at Audi over many years,” says Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH and responsible for motorsport at Audi. “The development of the Dakar prototype with its innovative drivetrain concept is being carried out in-house. We are contesting the race together with an experienced partner. The Q Motorsport team contributes an enormous amount of specific experience from cross-country motorsport.”
Q Motorsport
Q Motorsport GmbH was founded by Sven Quandt and his two sons Thomas and Tobias Quandt. As a driver, Sven Quandt won the T1 Marathon Cup in 1998. In the same year, his team GECO Raid celebrated a 1-2-3 victory in the T1 classification of the Paris–Dakar Rally. From November 2002 to the end of 2004, Quandt was the head of motorsport at Mitsubishi Motors. At the same time, he began to build up the X-raid Team, which celebrated five victories in the Dakar Rally and won the FIA World Cup for cross-country rallies eleven times.
“With Q Motorsport, we want to break new ground in cross-country motorsport independently of and parallel to X-raid,” says Sven Quandt. “The world is changing and the Dakar must also prove that it can be sustainable and continue to point the way forward. This is exactly what Q Motorsport wants to demonstrate together with Audi.”
Audi has managed to impress car enthusiasts around the world with its luxury and performance. It would be great to see a four-ringed SUV forming rooster trails during the Dakar rally!