Spaniard Carlos Sainz can extend his record as the Dakar Rally's oldest champion by becoming the first to win with five different car manufacturers in the two-week marathon starting in Saudi Arabia this weekend.

Sainz's fourth title came when he was 61 — making him the oldest winner of the race — and was the first Dakar victory for German outfit Audi.

After winning his fourth race in a hybrid Audi last year, Carlos Sainz is chasing his 5th championship in the Dakar Rally

BISHA – Veteran Spanish driver Carlos Sainz made history when he won his fourth Dakar Rally in 2024 and is confident that he has what it takes to challenge for victory in this season’s gruelling race in Saudi Arabia. Sainz’s fourth title came when he was 61 – the oldest winner of the race and the first Dakar victory for German outfit Audi.

Carlos Sainz made his debut on the Dakar in 2006, two years after Nasser Al Attiyah. He was the first of the two to writ

Carlos Sainz believes that “tactics will be more important than ever” in this year’s running of the Dakar Rally. After claiming his fourth victory in the iconic rally raid last year with Audi, the Spaniard has switched allegiances to Ford this term as the marque enters its new Raptor developed in collaboration with M-Sport.