Carlos Sainz chasing fifth Dakar Rally title, this time with a new manufacturer

Carlos Sainz is hoping to set a record as the Dakar Rally’s oldest champion while also becoming the first racer to win with five different car manufacturers in the two-week marathon, which begins this weekend in Saudi Arabia.
Carlos Sainz Sr. made his Dakar debut in 2006, two years after Nasser Al Attiyah. He was the first of the two to be named to the roll of honour in 2010, but the Qatari champion eventually surpassed him and now has five trophies on his shelf. After winning his fourth race in a hybrid Audi last year, ‘El Matador’ is catching up and hopes to level the race with the Ford Raptor that he will drive for the M-Sport team.
The Dakar Rally originated in 1978 as a race from Paris across the Sahara to Senegal’s capital, but was moved to South America in 2009 due to security concerns. It relocated to Saudi Arabia in 2020 and has since been the FIA World Rally Raid Championship’s flagship.
His 18-year-long adversary Nasser Al Attiyah is in a similar situation at the wheel of a Dacia Sandrider, and the 48 HR Chrono stage on the third day could be pivotal in this duel. Tactics and speed will be key factors in the contest, and the title holder is well aware that he must excel in all areas to defend his reign. To help Sainz’s chances, the team will be joined his countryman Nani Roma, former Audi teammate Mattias Ekström, and American Mitch Guthrie.
“The victory in the last Dakar was horic, and I’m still overjoyed to have done it, but it’s in the past, and now I’m concentrating on the next edition,” he said.
“Everyone is extremely motivated although it is true that the Dakar is a demanding race and in the first year of a project, no matter how many tests you do, you always pay for the fact that the car doesn’t have the kilometres…”
The rally extends over nearly 8,000km from Friday’s prologue in Bisha in the southwest to the Jan. 17 conclusion at Shubaytah in the eastern Empty Quarter.
The route includes a marathon stage and a 971-kilometre Chrono stage, during which competitors must spend the night in a rudimentary bivouac in the desert.
“It’s two days without any service from your team. You sleep in a tent in the desert, and it depends on your speed where you end up sleeping, and who else is there,” said Sainz, who is partnered compatriot Lucas Cruz.
“It is very early in the rally, basically the second day. It will be so important to get it right, especially for us with a new car.”Sainz will be one of the most experienced contenders, with Qatar’s five-time winner Nasser Al Attiyah. Stephane Peterhansel, a French veteran, retired last year after 14 wins on cars and motorcycles.
Al-Attiyah, who has won twice in Saudi Arabia, has joined nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb in the new Dacia Sandriders team.
“The target is victory and I am very confident this can be possible,” said the Qatari.
“But with a tough route, particularly during the first week, we have to be clever, avoid taking unnecessary risks and stay concentrated… this is a rally where you have to expect the unexpected each day for more than two weeks.”

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