Carlos Sainz and his Catalan co-driver Lucas Cruz are already four-time Dakar champions. The driver from Madrid has managed to win the 46th edition of the toughest rally in the world, so he, at 61 years of age, has managed to establish himself even further in the Olympus of motorsports.
Sainz was excited and grateful to the team after finishing the last stage. "This win means that when you work hard and believe in yourself, when you have a good team and are surrounded by good professionals, then the work is always worth it," he expressed.
"This car is so special, it is so complicated to manage, that it has been very difficult to make it work. Finishing and winning this race, well, it makes me very happy for Audi," commented the Madrid native. His triumph is that of perseverance, passion and regularity, beyond good hands behind the wheel and ambition.
"I think my energy comes from the passion I have. Obviously, you have to believe in yourself, believe that you can still drive and it is also the fruit of the lot of work behind it. To be here at my age and at this level you have "You have to work a lot beforehand. It doesn't just happen to you. This teaches you that when you work hard, it's usually worth it," the man from Madrid explained to the media, although he did not want to reveal anything about his future in the Dakar, since he is left without equipment.
"I will think about my future in the coming months. We will see what happens," said Sainz, who has received an offer from Ford for his ambitious project to win the Dakar 2025, in which Nani Roma is already embarked.
"I think yesterday was an important day for victory, but from the beginning it has been important every day. There are many favorites, but, as always happens in the Dakar, someone stops due to problems and from tenth you go to ninth, eighth, to seventh... I think I drove at a very good pace, we had a good strategy and good support from the team," he explained.
"It was a victory in a very competitive edition, with a very special car, with the fourth brand. It means a lot to me, as does making history with this type of car. I am very happy for Audi, in the last bullet that we had - the brand's last year in the rally -. We achieved it and I am delighted and I want to thank you for your trust," he said at the conclusion of the last stage of the Dakar 2024.
