2010 DAKAR Champion : 303 - Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz - Volkswagen Motorsport - Volkswagen Race Touareg 2Final Stage : January 16, 2010 : San Rafael to Buenos Aires - Connection 166 km / Special 206 km / Connection 335 km
Triumphant title defence in South America: Volkswagen has won the legendary Dakar Rally for the second time in succession and including 1980 for a third time. After a ‘showdown in blue’ the Volkswagen duos and their TDI powered Race Touareg prototypes celebrated a one-two-three podium lockout at the finish of the toughest challenge worldwide in motorsport. In the process, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) triumphed by only 2 minutes 12 seconds ahead of his team mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) in a thrilling finale on the closing 202 kilometre sprint on the 14th and final rally day. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) claimed third position. Last year’s winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) finished seventh.
2010 DAKAR - Second Position : 306 - Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk - Volkswagen Motorsport - Volkswagen Race Touareg 2"I’m incredibly proud of our team. It’s stunning what the drivers, co-drivers and the entire team have achieved on every single day of the Dakar Rally. With this one-two-three triumph Volkswagen Motorsport even surpassed its own lofty goals,” says Dr. rer. pol. h. c. Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz, Member of the Board of Management at VOLKSWAGEN AG for procurement, at the finish of the final stage. Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen explains: "Three weeks ago a highly motivated Volkswagen team came with the goal of successfully defending the ‘Dakar’ title won last year. Volkswagen has achieved something historical with this one-two-three. We are not only unbeaten in South America, we are also the only manufacturer to have won the world’s hardest rally up to now with diesel technology. The Volkswagen drivers fought amongst themselves for victory all the way to the chequered flag – sometimes by hard but fair means. This is exactly how we imagine motorsport to be. My congratulations therefore go to every Volkswagen duo who would all have been worthy winners.”
The Wolfsburg based brand therefore remains the only manufacturer to have won the car category of the Dakar Rally with diesel power. TDI technology was already dominant in 2009 in Argentina and Chile. In addition to the efficiency of the Volkswagen Group’s diesel direct injection technology the Race Touareg’s reliability was the key to the 2010 "Dakar” victory: Despite the extreme demands the powerful 300 hp Race Touareg proved to be not only the most robust, but also the fastest vehicle: Seven of 14 possible stage victories and eleven days in the lead were credited to the four-wheel drive racers from Wolfsburg.
2010 DAKAR - Third Position : 305 - Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford - Volkswagen Motorsport - Volkswagen Race Touareg 2The result of the rally kept observers and fans alike on tenterhooks up to the finish line: Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz, Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk and Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford led in this order since the fifth Dakar Rally stage. However, at no point did any driver duo have an unassailable lead. In a strong final burst Al-Attiyah/Gottschalk edged ever closer, repeatedly taking seconds from their Volkswagen team mates Sainz/Cruz and, in doing so, staged an open and hard but fair duel for the leading position. The Qatari/German duo made up ground specifically in the dune sections – which once again formed one of the "Dakar’s” core elements – while the Spanish duo Sainz/Cruz controlled proceedings on the fast, twisty gravel sections.
As varied as the fight in the overall standings was – two stage wins went to Sainz/Cruz, four to Al-Attiyah/Gottschalk, one to Miller/Pitchford –, so challenging proved the 32nd running of the Dakar Rally: In addition to the varied stages across soft, in part powder-like sand and through towering and endless dune fields of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile there were also gravel sections and tracks through enormous boulder fields on the agenda. The multi-faceted acid test with its terrain changing several times a day, two Andes crossings, passages through the world’s driest desert, the Atacama, as well as parts of the legendary Pampa was mastered brilliantly by the Volkswagen Race Touareg. One Race Touareg was always found in the top-three of each stage at the finish, 27 of a possible 42 top-three positions on the 14 stages went to Wolfsburg.
2010 DAKAR - Fourth Position : 301 - Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-paul Cottret - X-Raid - BMW X3 CCFor the new "Dakar” champions Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz a winning streak continued in front of millions of fans lining the daily stages in Argentina and Chile. As newly formed duo in the Volkswagen Race Touareg the Spanish pair remained unbeaten in their third competition together and secured a new superlative in "Dakar” history: Never before have two Spaniards won the legendary desert rally’s automobile category. Sainz/Cruz had previously won the Rallye dos Sertões in June and July 2009 as well as the Silk Way Rally in September 2009.
The Volkswagen statistics in cross country rallying make for equally impressive reading: The Wolfsburg based brand is unbeaten since January 2009 and with its second "Dakar” triumph since 2009 continues the Volkswagen Group’s success story with TDI technology: After Audi’s Le Mans victories between 2006 and 2008 and winning the World Touring Car Championship with SEAT in 2008 and 2009, Volkswagen has been successful at the "Dakar” in 2009 and 2010 thanks to TDI Power.
2010 DAKAR - Fifth Position : 307 - Guerlain Chicherit/Maria cristina Thoerner - X-Raid - BMW X3 CCRanking fourth 2h17’21 behind the winner is Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel (BMW), who finishes almost 2h ahead of his teammate and countryman Guerlain Chicherit (BMW), who finishes fifth.
Respected by opponents and team alike: Carlos Sainz
"Carlos Sainz is incredibly target oriented and works in an incredibly structured way,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "He brought a lot of experience from other leading teams to Volkswagen Motorsport. He shares his ideas and know-how openly with other team mates, everybody in the team respects Carlos for his nature and performance – even when it isn't easy for the mechanics and engineers to be pushed permanently to the limits of their performance.”
With Lucas Cruz, Sainz has a new co-driver since last year. "Carlos is a real gentleman, whether he's in or out of the cockpit,” says the Catalan from Ripollet close to Barcelona, who has won every one of the three rallies he has contested up to now with Sainz in the Race Touareg. "He is an exceptional driver and great character. To work with him is something special every day.”
Constructive cooperation as recipe for success
As different as Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz are in their appearance, the more constructive is their cooperation. During the Dakar Rally jointly working through the road book every evening is an integral part of the daily procedure. "It was important for us that Carlos had a feeling beforehand for the junctions and dangerous points expected during the following day,” says Lucas Cruz. "I think this was one of the secrets to our success in the 2010 ‘Dakar'.”
While "El Matador” Carlos Sainz approaches his work emotionally and spiritedly, the strength of his 35-year old wingman is found in his calmness. "To choose a Spanish speaking co-driver was a conscious decision,” says Carlos Sainz. "It's quite simply an advantage to receive instructions in your own language, without having to translate it first in your head. This gives the last tiny piece of concentration. In addition, Lucas works meticulously and calmly and knows how to prepare perfectly for the forthcoming stages. I think the record of three wins in three rallies proves a point.”
With the precision of the calm: Lucas Cruz
His appearance within the Volkswagen team is rather inconspicuous. Lucas Cruz does not like to be the centre of attention, but in fact puts himself at the service of the team. "Lucas is a quiet person and anything but a hot-blooded Spaniard,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "He complements Carlos Sainz perfectly. Lucas works through his tasks in a concentrated and precise manner. The balance inside the cockpit between Lucas and Carlos is 100 per cent. In addition they also get on famously with one another outside the Race Touareg.”
Cruz has contested the Dakar Rally already for the second time with the Volkswagen factory team. In 2006 he completed the most important desert rally with the Race Truck. The Catalan had previously followed a career in both classic sprint rallies and also in off-road racing. Before he returned to Volkswagen he competed twice in the Dakar Rally for Mitsubishi. Together with his fellow countryman Joan "Nani” Roma the IT engineer clinched a top-ten position in 2009.
The language of the fans: Sainz/Cruz the stars in South America
In the exciting battle to the finish, staged with their Volkswagen team mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk, which the Spaniards finally won by a margin of 132 seconds, the support in Argentina and Chile clearly belongs to Sainz und Cruz. The factory duo in the Race Touareg with start number 303 was always at the centre of the media interest. Millions lined the route of the Dakar Rally. In addition to the driving and navigational skills, what they love about "El Matador” Sainz and his co-driver Cruz is the open manner. After winning the 2010 "Dakar” Sainz and Cruz are not only closer than ever before with their fans. The most recent victory has brought them even closer: To a strong unit in the Volkswagen cockpit.
Stage 14 Result : January 16, 2010 : San Rafael to Buenos Aires - Connection 166 km / Special 206 km / Connection 335 km
Pl | No. | Driver | Car | Time | Variation | Penalty |
| 1 | 306 | AL-ATTIYAH (QAT) GOTTSCHALK (DEU) | VOLKSWAGEN | 01:19:42 | 00:00:00 | |
| 2 | 303 | SAINZ (ESP) CRUZ (ESP) | VOLKSWAGEN | 01:20:18 | 00:00:36 | |
| 3 | 307 | CHICHERIT (FRA) THOERNER (CHE) | BMW | 01:20:25 | 00:00:43 | |
| 4 | 301 | PETERHANSEL (FRA) COTTRET (FRA) | BMW | 01:20:50 | 00:01:08 | |
| 5 | 305 | MILLER (USA) PITCHFORD (ZAF) | VOLKSWAGEN | 01:21:21 | 00:01:39 | |
| 6 | 300 | DE VILLIERS (ZAF) VON ZITZEWITZ (DEU) | VOLKSWAGEN | 01:21:23 | 00:01:41 | |
| 7 | 302 | GORDON (USA) GRIDER (USA) | HUMMER | 01:21:40 | 00:01:58 | |
| 8 | 311 | TERRANOVA (ARG) MAIMON (FRA) | MITSUBISHI | 01:22:10 | 00:02:28 | |
| 9 | 351 | BALDWIN (USA) WALCH (USA) | HUMMER | 01:22:57 | 00:03:15 | |
| 10 | 318 | MISSLIN (FRA) POLATO (FRA) | MITSUBISHI | 01:24:02 | 00:04:20 | |
| 11 | 310 | NOVITSKIY (RUS) SCHULZ (DEU) | BMW | 01:24:15 | 00:04:33 | |
| 12 | 332 | BARBOSA (PRT) RAMALHO (PRT) | MITSUBISHI | 01:24:47 | 00:05:05 | |
| 13 | 322 | SPINELLI (BRA) PALMEIRO (PRT) | MITSUBISHI | 01:24:50 | 00:05:08 | |
| 14 | 317 | VAN DEIJNE (NLD) ROSEGAAR (NLD) | MITSUBISHI | 01:25:18 | 00:05:36 | |
| 15 | 314 | SOUSA (PRT) BAUMEL (FRA) | MITSUBISHI | 01:25:31 | 00:05:49 | |
| 16 | 336 | LEAL DOS SANTOS (PRT) FIUZA (PRT) | BMW | 01:35:14 | 00:15:32 | |
| 17 | 327 | SOLOVYEV (RUS) ZHILTSOV (RUS) | SMG | 01:35:50 | 00:16:08 | |
| 18 | 315 | KAHLE (DEU) SCHÜNEMANN (DEU) | Fast - Speed | 01:36:40 | 00:16:58 | |
| 19 | 321 | DE AZEVEDO (BRA) CAVASSIN (BRA) | MITSUBISHI | 01:44:09 | 00:24:27 | |
| 20 | 325 | HENRARD (BEL) BEGUIN (BEL) | VOLKSWAGEN | 01:44:10 | 00:24:28 | |
| 21 | 365 | VAN DER BEEK (NLD) HOOGENDIJK (NLD) | KIA | 01:44:24 | 00:24:42 | |
| 22 | 342 | STRUGO (FRA) FERRI (FRA) | NISSAN | 01:44:33 | 00:24:51 | |
| 23 | 359 | CHAVIGNY (FRA) BRUCY (FRA) | NISSAN | 01:45:03 | 00:25:21 | |
| 24 | 383 | JIANG (CHN) BARTHOLOME (BEL) | CHERY | 01:45:52 | 00:26:10 | |
| 25 | 353 | SCHOTT (DEU) SCHMIDT (DEU) | MITSUBISHI | 01:46:00 | 00:26:18 | |
| 26 | 323 | ERRANDONEA (AND) GARCIN (FRA) | SMG | 01:46:15 | 00:26:33 | |
| 27 | 389 | ZHOU (CHN) PONCET (FRA) | GREAT WALL HOVER | 01:46:19 | 00:26:37 | |
| 28 | 382 | LU (CHN) DI PERSIO (ITA) | CHERY | 01:46:21 | 00:26:39 | |
| 29 | 341 | MITSUHASHI (JPN) CATTARELLI (FRA) | TOYOTA | 01:46:52 | 00:27:10 | |
| 30 | 330 | SIREYJOL (FRA) WISSMANNS (FRA) | BOWLER | 01:47:12 | 00:27:30 |
Stage 14- Overall Standing
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Images : 2010 Dakar - Finish Line Hi-Light
[Source : 2010 Dakar - Official, VOLKSWAGEN, X-Raid]
