Leading the pack

With just two days to go in the event, the Audi Sport RS Q e-tron piloted by French duo Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulager remain out in front of the field, and setting a blistering pace.

After taking the opening stage win, the members of the Audi team were pleased but cautious in their expectation for what is only the second competitive outing for the RS Q e-tron. The higher temperatures and large, soft-sand dunes of the course in Abu Dhabi was expected to place greater pressures on the electric-drive and battery of the RS Q e-tron than at the Dakar, but the vehicle and team have been more than up to the challenge.

The first day’s lead of 9 minutes 30 seconds was trimmed slightly on the second and longest day, with the RS Q e-tron finishing fourth but retaining its lead in the standings by just oder eight minutes. Then, on Day 3, a third place finish in the 255 kilometre special stage (plus a short, 35 kilometre transport leg) saw the Audi Sport team not only retain its lead but push the margin out to a staggering 30 minutes and 18 seconds.

With just two days of competition remaining in the event, the Audi Sport team is tantalisingly close to winning its first major international rally raid event on just its second outing, but the members the team remain cautious and mindful that in these conditions, anything can happen.

“We are in a good position and we will try to manage to the end, but everyday we learn something with our car, so I hope that everything will be okay for the end of the race,” said Peterhansel after wrapping up Day 3.

“The important thing for us is to try and win the overall race and not just the individual stages, so we will try to manage this gap,” he says.

“It’s not necessary for us to really push like crazy, but we will manage the parameters of the car to be safe and make no mistakes with driving.”

But with plenty more desert kilometres still to contest in the race, there are no guarantees even with the commanding lead.

“Each kilometre you can do a mistake,” says the champion driver who has won the Abu Dhabi race seven times previously. “Still two long days to go and everything is possible, each kilometre you can find a trap in front of you so you need to be really focused. In the end we have to cross the finish line.”

Just under 400 kilometres await the teams tomorrow, in the penultimate day of racing, with 243 kilometres of special stage and 153 kilometres of transport leg. The pressure of continuing to lead the event will be on the minds of all involved in the Audi Sport team, but with a driver of the experience of Stéphane Peterhansel at the wheel, the Audi campaign couldn’t be in safer hands in the race to the finish.