A Dakar cannot be improvised. And it must be admitted that Audi had a good dose of courage in launching a very complex technological challenge such as that of full-electric in the pitfalls of the desert at a time when we are still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic.
But we do not discover the enormous determination that characterizes the Germans today and the House of the Rings launched the Audi RS Q e-tron project in a record time, about a year, demonstrating that the claim of the advertising campaigns, “At the forefront of technology” it is not just a slogan, but a corporate value, a deeply felt and profound pride.
Audi RS Q e-tron
Photo by: Audi Communications Motorsport
It should not be surprising, therefore, if between the first start-up of the RS Q e-tron which took place on 30 June in the Audi Motorsport Competence Center in Neuburg an der Donau, and the prologue of the Dakar, scheduled for 1 January 2022 in Ha’il , in Saudi Arabia, only 6 months elapse.
Usually, the presence of at least one race that makes it possible to evaluate the potential of the car in a competitive environment is added to the program of tests indispensable to roughing the car from the inevitable defects of youth. But the conditions dictated by the pandemic that delayed the supply of some components and the cancellation of some appointments prevented Audi from assessing the actual value of the car with the four rings in the race, making the wait for the debut even more feverish. by Ha’il.
After testing in Germany and Spain, the Team headed for the Moroccan heat, tackling the desert and dunes in two test sessions that took place in September and November.
While the three RS Q e-tron were being assembled at Audi Motorsport, the three crews took turns driving the prototype with chassis number 103, accumulating a total of over 2,500 kilometers on the different terrains that characterize the Dakar.
Not being able to evaluate the car in the race, the Audi technicians took the conditions of use of the car to extremes far beyond the limits established by the simulations: Peterhansel, for example, took care of the reliability of the sophisticated cooling systems by turning with a partialization of the sockets. air that would bring the mechanics and the powertrain close to breaking point.
Carlos Sainz, one of the three official drivers is satisfied with the work done: “No particular problems have emerged, but the car will still have some small changes with the latest developments before leaving: for example, a new even more efficient battery has arrived”.
Has the car changed a lot since the test prototype?
“I would say that it has undergone some evolutions as a result of testing, but the machine was born well right away. In terms of hardware, suspension, power steering, everything worked from the beginning, revealing fewer problems that usually arise with a new car designed for the Dakar ”.
Audi RS Q e-tron
Photo by: Audi Communications Motorsport
The mechanics, therefore, are already very good for being competitive… “Of course, we had to concentrate more on integrating the electric motors and the battery. The technicians have done an incredible job: I can’t wait to find out where we can get… ”.
Great attention has been paid to safety and the interventions that will be granted to crews during the special stages …
“We have had training courses: Audi has taken care of safety with great care. When a problem arises from the high voltage, alarms will go off so we will have to leave the car by jumping from the car, just like the drivers in F1. There are LEDs that are colored green, yellow or red depending on the situation. It is clear that in the Dakar we will be racing in extreme conditions that will put the systems to the test. And if we have to stop in the special we will not have many opportunities to intervene, but that is why all the race conditions have been tested, even the most extreme. We are very confident… “.
Audi RS Q e-tron
Photo by: Audi Communications Motorsport
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