On the eve of this year’s Dakar event in Saudi Arabia, Sainz was critical of the new T1 Ultimate regulations that cover electric and hybrid vehicles, saying that Audi wasn’t given parity with its petrol-powered rivals.
The three-time Dakar winner was of the opinion that Audi has to contend with a car that is significantly heavier than its competitors, while not having any more power or the inflation-deflation system to compensate for the extra weight.
But Kleinschmidt doesn’t believe the German manufacturer faces an inherent disadvantage on its debut appearance in Dakar, pointing out how quick the car has proven in the first week of the rally.
Sainz scored a maiden Dakar stage win for an electric car on Tuesday, while teammates Stephane Peterhansel and Mattias Ekstrom have bagged one top-three finish each so far.
“I cannot see that they are disadvantaged at the moment,” Kleinschmidt told Motorsport.com. “If you are outside and you see them passing by, and if you see…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Motorsport.com – All – Stories…