Shortly before the start of the Dakar Rally, five-time winner Násir Attíja talked about the rival Audi team and his shocking departure from Toyota.
The Qatari didn’t leave a “thread dry” on the new Audi RS Q e-tron E2 electric special. He sees the prospects of the German team as very dark.
“Audi? I only give them three days and they go home. You saw it in Morocco and Aragon after a hundred kilometers,” he recalled in an interview with Motorsport.com about the cars’ failures in previous long-distance competitions.
At the same time, Audi modernized its futuristic electric car and received an additional 15 kW of power thanks to the modification of the regulations. The car’s high-voltage battery is charged while driving via an energy converter.
It features a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder TFSI engine from the DTM series that recharges the high-voltage battery while driving. Simply put, it is a mobile aggregate inside the car.
This special will make its last appearance at the Dakar this year, as Audi has decided to focus its sporting efforts on Formula 1.
Attíja had originally harshly criticized the e-tron’s performance increase, but now he has taken a more conciliatory stance. “It’s not my decision. We have to accept it because the FIA has a different vision. In the first three days we will see that Audi will be fast,” said the Olympic bronze medalist in skeet from the London Games.
The native of Doha surprisingly headed to the Prodrive stable after successful years behind the wheel of Toyota. In her colors, she is not only focused on defending the title, but also looks to the future, when the team will transform into a Dacia factory team.
“The reason for the change is the contract with Dacia for three seasons. We will have feedback and I know the people at Prodrive. That’s why I came,” he explained.
Despite the fact that the Prodrive Hunter car had major reliability problems at the Dakar a year ago, the champion believes they are a thing of the past. He pointed to his experience with Toyota, where he managed to avoid the setbacks other drivers faced.
“If you look at Toyota’s results, every car had a problem. Except mine, because Dakar has its tricks and all cars are the same,” he said.
According to the Qatari racer, strategy is key in a grueling rally. “Today, if you go to the maximum every day, you’re going to have a problem. You have to know when to really go on the edge. It’s not about the reliability of the Toyota or the Hunter,” he elaborated on his approach as he grinds his teeth towards a sixth Dakar victory.
