VW Dominates 2010 Paris-Dakar

VW Turbo Diesel Touaregs finish 1-2-3. Same results, different year at Dakar 2010

Volkswagen's turbo diesel technology completed a comprehensively successful title defence in the 2010 Dakar Rally, finishing 1-2-3 with WRC legend Carlos Sainz (bottom right) finally winning the most prestigious "raid"; in the world at his fourth attempt. In the motorcycles, Cyril Depres (top left) won his third Dakar Rally, after 9000 km across Argentina and Chile. He rode in triumph into Buenos Aires to complete his third Dakar victory and the tenth consecutive victory for Austrian brand KTM. Indeed, apart from Sainz and Quad bike winner Marcos Patronelli who finished second last year, all the winners were old hands. Yamaha dominated the Quads as usual with a 1-2-3, the "tsar"; (Russia's Vladimir Chagin) won the truck category for the sixth time, driving a Kamaz (bottom left). The rugged Russian Kamaz truck won EVERY stage in the 2010 event, finished 1-2 and picked up a ninth Dakar win.

If there was an unlucky participant in the 2010 event, it was Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah, who has shown all the hallmarks of a superstar in recent years and after more than 45 hours of racing, finished just two minutes shy of one of the greatest drivers the world has ever seen.

For most of the last week the race has been between Sainz and Al-Attiyah as a trio of Volkswagen TDI powered Race Touareg prototypes careered away from the rest of the field. The third of the trio, American Mark Miller dropped a few seconds here and there to the leading two, and at the end of the two week rally, he finished just half an hour behind the leading pair — in another year it would have been seen as a close result, but not so in comparison to the battle between Sainz and Al-Attiyah.

Last year's winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) finished seventh.

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. The powerful 300 hp Race Touareg won seven of 14 possible stage victories and eleven days in the lead were credited to the four-wheel drive racers from Wolfsburg.

The 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.

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