DAKAR 2022 AND THE FUTURE OF MOTORSPORT

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Motorsport competitions attract thousands of enthusiasts every year, who choose to enjoy the races either directly at the racetrack or – especially in the last year – comfortably sitting on their couch at home, the stage for the most heated discussions in this field. However, most enthusiasts almost exclusively follow F1, a competition that, like no other, has managed to make millions of children and adults passionate about the world of motors. In particular, among the hundreds of competitions worldwide, one of them is often overlooked even though, perhaps more than all the others, it encapsulates the true meaning of the word motorsport: the Dakar Rally.

The Dakar Rally is one of the most famous car and motorcycle rallies in the world, which until 2007 had its final stage in the capital of Senegal. The race route, in fact, has been modified many times throughout its history: from Paris, the starting point moved to Lisbon, then completely changed continents, passing through Tierra del Fuego, and since 2020 it has been held in Saudi Arabia.

The competition is known for being physically very tough for the drivers and for the high risks that competitors must endure, as evidenced by the numerous accidents and even fatalities that have occurred during the events. The race includes cars, motorcycles, trucks, quads, and Side by Sides, appropriately modified and reinforced to withstand the mechanical stresses they endure during the Rally. Numerous manufacturers participate in the Dakar Rally: Yamaha, KTM, Kamaz, Mitsubishi, BMW, and Mercedes, to name a few. These teams, along with their drivers, compete to take home a prize pool that is quite modest compared to the importance and competitiveness of this sport: only 71,000 euros in total.

Anyone might wonder what incentives manufacturers have to enter such a tough competition for such a small prize money. The answer lies in an obvious fact that, especially nowadays, is no longer so obvious: innovation. This competition is incredibly stimulating for various manufacturers who are driven to adopt technical innovations to improve the performance of their vehicles. Similarly, in the past, there have been numerous innovations developed in the field that were later exported to the cars and motorcycles we drive every day. The extremity of this competition leads to an exacerbated search for constant improvements in their vehicle fleets, and the effects of this ripple out to more “civilian” cars.

Audi has managed to refine its quattro all-wheel drive system directly from rally racing. In the past, it has proven to be one of the manufacturers most willing to adopt innovative technical solutions that revolutionize the competition. For example, Audi participated in the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring with a diesel vehicle, the Audi R10, winning both races, an absolutely incredible result because no one had ever imagined that a diesel engine could be so competitive. The result brought extremely positive publicity for the diesel engines of the German brand, making almost irrelevant the marketing campaigns carried out by other manufacturers in Germany: Audi had gained a dominant position. Sports competitions are fundamental for this reason, and it is no coincidence that the numerous manufacturers present in the Dakar Rally, as well as in other sports events, also represent the leading brands in the vehicle market.

In recent years, we are going through a period of transition towards the total electrification of the vehicle fleet on the roads we travel, and similarly, this is happening on circuits and tracks as well. Think of Formula 1, which has abandoned the powerful roar of the V10 engines of the early 2000s in favor of a more modest V6 turbo hybrid with electric assistance, or the birth of the parallel Formula E, where races are run exclusively with electric motor vehicles. This exact situation is also happening in the Dakar Rally, as Audi itself has stated that it will participate in the competition with a fully electric prototype – for now still in testing – with a range extender to support the length of the stages of the most famous rally raid in the world. Audi’s intention is undoubtedly focused on developing the components of tomorrow’s electric powertrains, testing them under extreme conditions to study future improvements, hoping to replicate the success, both sporting and marketing, of 2006. The vehicle, derived directly from the single-seaters of the aforementioned Formula E, is currently being tested to ensure the team has the best possible chances of victory.

Is a total electrification of components the destiny of all motorsports? At the moment, it is impossible to say for certain. The only information we can draw conclusions from comes directly from Europe and the main Sporting Commissions, which point the finger at manufacturers and competitions, asking for a much greater reduction in emissions than competitors can currently bear with existing thermal engine technology.

It is therefore highly likely that in the coming years, we will witness an increasing use of electric motor vehicles, both due to institutional pressures and the manufacturers’ desire to fully develop this technology. Enthusiasts are bound to accept this ongoing change, reminiscing with nostalgia the sound that came from the exhaust of an engine revving at 10,000 rpm. As of today, we cannot say whether the motorsport of the future will be better or worse than that of recent years or past decades: what is certain is that it will be very different. Only time will provide the true answer to this question.

Written by Stefano Maggioni