Dakar | Cars, Prologue: immediately Audi with Ekstroem. Quintero shines

Audi must have taken Nasser Al-Attiyah's words personally: “I give Audi three days, then they will go home.” To understand how much the Qatari's prediction may come true we will have to wait for two more stages, but the 2024 Dakar Prologue staged today in Al-Ula was a clear sign of challenge.

Mattias Ekstroem, one of the three official Audi Sport drivers, won the Prologue of the Dakar 2024, signing the best time overall in the 27 timed special kilometers (plus the 130 transfer kilometers) in 16'30″, 23 seconds ahead of the first Official Toyota GR Hilux T1U, that of rookie Seth Quintero.

The American Toyota driver lived up to initial expectations: many have designated him as one of the champions of the future of rally raid and of the category World Championship, but today's second time demonstrates two things: his speed on the dry stage – albeit short – and already having a vehicle in his hands that he has only had the opportunity to try out for a few weeks.

Saying that Quintero could already be in contention for the final victory is more than premature, but it is almost certain that he will be one of the most spectacular and entertaining riders of this edition, perhaps capable of stage exploits while waiting for him to gain the right experience and try to have his say until the end of the two-week competition.

15 seconds behind Quintero we find one of the big favorites for the final victory of this 2024 edition of the Dakar, namely Sébastien Loeb. The 9-time WRC world champion is the first exponent of Prodrive with the Hunter of the BRX team, while the reigning champion Nasser Al-Attiyah did not go beyond 12th place overall on his debut with the prototype of the British company.

The first surprise of the day is Marcos Baumgart, Brazilian driver of the X-Raid team at the wheel of a Hunter. He performed excellently ahead of the Polish Krzyszfof Holowczyc, driver of the X-Raid MINI JCW team and the second Audi RS Q e-tron, that of Mister Dakar Stéphane Peterhansel. The multiple winner of the rally raid closed the prologue in seventh place ahead of the Toyota GR Hilux managed by the Overdrive Racing team and driven by Lionel Baud.

The first Ford in the ranking is that of Martin Prokop, ninth, managed by the Orlen Jipocar ​​team, while Brian Baragwanath completed the Top 10 with the first Century CR7-T. Just outside the top 10 is Guerlain Chicherit, driver of the Overdrive Racing team ahead of the aforementioned Al-Attiyah.

If Seth Quintero immediately stole the lead, new teammate Lucas Moraes started without any fanfare. The Brazilian, third overall in the 2023 edition of the Dakar, stopped in 15th place in the stage ahead of the M-Sport Ford driven by Nani Roma. The one, however, who started even more calmly is Carlos Sainz. El Matador, driver of Audi Sport, is beyond the top 30 positions.

But this is only the prologue, it is no coincidence that the first 10 are contained in less than a minute. Just 55 seconds. Tomorrow the first stage will take place which will lead from Al-Ula to Al Henakiyah. 414 timed kilometers and another 127 of transfer. It will be then that we will be able to admire the first, honest general ranking of the cars of this Dakar.

Dakar 2024 – Prologue – General classification