The 2024 Dakar Rally is underway in Saudi Arabia, and Carlos Sainz Sr. is off to a strong start.
After Saturday’s shock stage 1 win by Belgian Guillaume de Mevius, Sainz and co-driver Lucas Cruz took control of proceedings on Sunday onboard their works Audi.
The pair finished the second test P8, over 17 minutes behind Sainz’s Audi teammate Stephane Peterhansel, but de Mevius’ low-key performance on the day allowed the 61-year-old Spaniard to power ahead in the overall classification.
Ahead of Monday’s 733 km adventures, Sainz leads local hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi by 1m51s while Prodrive’s Sebastien Loeb is third over 4 minutes adrift.
