Everyone in the Audi Sport team had the fear that something could happen to the RS Q e-tron. The House of the four rings yesterday made its debut at the Dakar without the innovative car equipped with three electric motors and a generator having competed in a race, but only in tests after the incubation phase in the Audi Sport factory in Neuburg an der Donau.
Two cars are effectively out of action on the second day: not due to mechanical failures, but due to the crews’ errors. Nothing technical, but human mistakes: Stephane Peterhansel broke a suspension against a hidden boulder and Carlos Sainz got lost in the dunes because his navigator Cruz did not find a waypoint that the Spaniard challenged vigorously, accusing the organization of the race for lost time. And the least experienced of the three, Mattias Ekstrom is 36th with an hour and a half delay.
Yet in the Audi Sport bivouac we work hard, in the conviction of restarting the three RS Q e-tron tomorrow (there is the hope of repairing Mister Dakar’s car too).
Stefan Dreyer, Audi Sport technical chief on the Dakar field
Photo by: Maria Guidotti
Stefan Dreyer, Head of Develpment at Audi Sport Racing, tries to stay calm because on the field he coordinates a staff of 80 people including engineers, mechanics plus the logistics managers without counting media and marketing. Only from the deployment of forces can one understand the complexity and importance of the program for the House of the Four Rings, which does not give up on the first adversities.
In Audi Motorsport since 1999, Stefan Dreyer has worked on the most ambitious projects of the German manufacturer, from the WEC, to the DTM and to Formula E. Today he faces this new adventure with the enthusiasm and respect that a race like the Dakar demands.
How did you experience the baptism of the RS Q e-tron on the dunes of the Arabian desert?
“So far we had only done tests that can never come close to the reality of the race so the approach is to experience this feat day after day. Of course the Dakar is legendary and I had heard a lot about it, but it is a race that must be experienced. The baptism on the dunes in the prologue was thrilling, today we suffer… “.
It is a three-year program. We are only at the beginning …
“What has been the biggest challenge so far? To develop such an ambitious and complex project in less than twelve months. A record time also considering the period we are experiencing. I still shiver at the thought ”.
The number of computers in the garage is staggering. Was the software developed in house?
“For such a complex car, you need a dedicated software and Audi has all the technology to develop one to match the project. I am particularly proud of the results obtained. The software we have in the machine is excellent for me, but of course, we must always consider that it was developed in 12 months so there is always the possibility of improving it “.
With so many computers, are we heading towards Formula 1 technology?
“I’ve never worked in Formula 1, but due to the complexity of the vehicles at the start we are at series level such as LMP1, DTM or Formula E ”.
However, the human and mechanical factor remains decisive as we saw in today’s stage with Carlos Sainz who got lost in the desert leaving two hours or Peterhansel’s accident out of action for the victory following the breaking of the rear suspension …
“It was a shock, but racing is like that. Peterhansel has hit something and from the photos I have seen the damage seems important. They are still trying to fix the car on special and we hope it can be finished. We will analyze the data and see ”.
Audi is writing the history of the Dakar with an innovative car, even if not fully electric ..
“At the moment it is not possible to cover stages of 800 km with a 100% electric car. It was clear to us from the start but we wanted to explore this direction and develop a machine that would benefit from the advantages of an electric motor. The DTM engine is mechanically connected to a generator that produces the energy for the batteries and from these to the wheels “.
What are the strong points?
“The powertrain always delivers the required power, regardless of various factors such as altitude or humidity. This allows for better control and good development of the couple ”.
What compromises did you have to make?
“In racing you always have to make compromises. Weight for example. Our car exceeds the two-ton limit set by the regulation for our category “.
Even the drivers had never driven such a complicated car …
“It was a constant exchange of experience. Having such strong and professional drivers and co-drivers was crucial. Without them we would not be at this level. I knew Mattias (Ekström) well from DTM, while I had never worked with Stephane (Peterhansel) and Carlos (Sainz) before. I was impressed by the precision with which they describe things, problems and their willingness to grow together ”.
# 202 Team Audi Sport Audi: Carlos Sainz, Lucas Cruz
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
What is Audi’s vision regarding the Dakar?
“As we have said, to date it is not conceivable to compete with only electric batteries so we have to think about how we can recharge the batteries. Our project, which we call the “energy converter concept”, sees the ICE connected to the generator, but there are other possibilities, so it is an area that can be developed and we have many other ideas ”.
Today’s black day was faced by Audi Sport with great determination: tomorrow the team will be ready to resume the race trying to gather important information for the development of the car and in the hope of hitting some stage success that testifies to the quality of a project. which is in full evolution.
#Dakar #Human #errors #shake #Audi #Sport #team