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Carlos Sainz Sr put in an honorable execution in the 2024 Dakar Rally to guarantee Audi's most memorable triumph, as late show for Sebastien Loeb dropped him to third.
Sainz drove practically the whole way in the 46th release of Dakar in Saudi Arabia, in the end guaranteeing the general triumph by 1hr20m25s over the Overdrive Toyota of Guillaume de Mevius.
The Spaniard didn't win a solitary individual stage for just the third time in his Dakar profession, which traces all the way back to his most memorable excursion with Volkswagen in 2006, however he had the option to eclipse his opponents with a progression of steady drives as he stayed away from the setbacks that plague his primary opponents.
It was anything but a totally inconvenience free seventeenth cooperation in the Dakar for Sainz, be that as it may, who experienced his most memorable mishap in the Preface where he could complete 48th, undermining his beginning situation for the convention legitimate.
In any case, the 61-year-old immediately recuperated from that disaster for put himself quickly back in the battle and started to lead the pack of the general assembly in front of an audience 2.
Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Overdrive) moved in front the next day with a remarkable exhibition, yet he left the manner in which clear for Sainz in the wake of upsetting his Toyota Hilux in the 48-hour Stage 6.
In the second seven day stretch of the convention, Sainz pretty much held the 20-minute lead he acquired from Al-Rajhi notwithstanding fierce opposition from his previous World Meeting Title partner Loeb and was at that point looking as the #1 for top distinctions when the Frenchman lost an hour on the penultimate stage with harmed suspension.
With Prodrive rival Loeb no longer available, Sainz could bear to take his foot off the choke and advance securely to the end goal.
Arriving at the bivouac at Yanbu right external the main 10 on Friday, the Audi driver wrapped up his fourth vocation title in Dakar (not including his 2008 victory in the Focal European Meeting) and joined the rundown of the best drivers throughout the entire existence of the convention assault.
He likewise refined the accomplishment of winning Dakar with four distinct producers, with his past triumphs generally accompanying various brands (Volkswagen, Peugeot and Smaller than expected).
Fundamentally, it likewise denoted Audi's most memorable victory in the Dakar, with the German marque having just entered the occasion in 2022 with its aggressive electric-controlled RS Q e-tron.
The outcome denotes a fitting farewell for Audi from the Dakar, which looks set to reassess its final production line program to put all its weight behind its impending Equation 1 venture in 2026 with Sauber.
Audi was in dispute for a 1-2 completion until double cross DTM champion Mattias Ekstrom experienced mechanical issues in front of an audience 7, leaving Sainz as its only competitor for triumph.
Yet, in a model showcase of cooperation, both Ekstrom and Stephane Peterhansel - whose bid for a fifteenth Dakar win was wrecked with a progression of issues in the primary week - helped Sainz's offered for triumph all through the subsequent day, ensuring he had cover during precarious rough territories.
This was as a glaring difference to Prodrive, where Bahrain Strike Outrageous driver Loeb was abandoned following Nasser Al-Attiyah's exit.
Loeb arose as Sainz's fundamental opponent for triumph following his excellent rebound triumph in front of an audience 6, however he expected to conquer a 30-minute deficiency having lost a lot of time on days 1 and 3 with penetrates and different issues.
Loeb promptly cut Sainz's lead by a third by winning Stage 7 and was then ready to get in no less than five minutes of the Spaniard on Monday, just to fix his great work by becoming mixed up in the desert with a route botch.
Loeb was back in no less than 13 minutes of Sainz on the penultimate day when he hit a stone in the wake of arriving from a peak, harming his suspension.
With Al-Attiyah, who had moved to Prodrive from Toyota over the colder time of year, having left the meeting with a progression of issues on his Tracker, the nine-time WRC champion needed to sit tight for over an hour until one more Prodrive client passage showed up on the scene and had the extra parts he expected to fix his vehicle.
That permitted de Mevius to get a runner up finish in his lady outing in the Dakar's Definitive/T1+ class, as Loeb needed to make due with the last right on the money the platform regardless of winning five of the 12 phases, including Friday's finale.
