Julius Seebach admits he had a lump in his throat when Audi’s ground-breaking RS Q e-tron off-roader rolled away from the startline at the Dakar Rally in January.
“Stephane Peterhansel was the first to start as he was the winner last year [in a Mini JCW buggy],” explains the managing director of Audi Sport, “and it was a very emotional moment given the car had only been finished just two hours beforehand.
“When he started you could hear this electric sound, a whine… The second starter was Nasser [Al-Attiyah, the eventual winner, driving Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Hilux] who left with the sound of conventional technology: vroom! There you could see, feel and hear the difference between the two concepts.”
Nearly two weeks later, all three of Audi’s RS Q e-trons returned to the Jeddah finish of the epic adventure in one piece, each with rollercoaster tales of exhilarating highs and frustrating dips. Such is life on what has a strong claim to be motorsport’s toughest…
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