Carlos Sainz's victory in the 2024 Dakar was historic, not only because it was his fourth desert crown with the fourth different brand, but also because he broke his own record as the longest-serving driver to win the toughest race in the world . The Spaniard achieved it at the age of 61 and at the finish line there were only words of admiration for such a feat.
When a small group of media, including Motorsport.com, spoke to race director, David Castera, the Frenchman gave him credit for reaching the top step of the podium at an age when most pilots is already retired and thinks about other things more than the competition.
The Dakar manager exemplified Carlos Sainz's ambition to build on an already long career and become the first “grandfather” to win the event: “There are two beautiful things in Carlos' victory. The first is the victory of a incredible driver, who is over 60 years old (he will turn 62 in April), and everyone thinks that the Dakar is easy when you see that someone so old wins, but the work that Carlos does is crazy, he is very well prepared and He has an incredible will.”
“I think it's an example for all young people to see how Carlos prepares, and now even more so, given that he is the first to win the Dakar as a grandfather, and it's incredible”, admitted David Castera, also visibly excited and happy to see how fortune has finally smiled on one of the best drivers in the history of rallying.
And he couldn't hide his positivity at seeing a concept car that took three years to express its full potential against conventional combustion vehicles win the race: “In addition to this, we are happy to see that this electric vehicle can win , and that after three years he achieved victory. I think it's very positive for the future.”
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