NOX: With a Dakar trophy now in your hands, what do you consider to be your greatest motorsport victory?
Carlos Sainz: That’s not so easy to answer...! In principle both are similar disciplines, but at the same time completely different. And they are difficult to win. One thing is sure, though: the Dakar Rally is a great race of enormous importance in the sporting world, and to have won this makes me extremely proud, particularly as I won it my way, and according to my understanding of this sport.
NOX: How much experience do you think is required to win the Dakar? Is it all about the driver...?
CS: The first thing you need is, of course, a car capable of winning; I had that this year with the Race Touareg. After that, it becomes about the driver, so after starting in cross country rallying in 2005, I first had to learn how to drive quickly and without making mistakes in deep desert sand. That I didn’t get bogged down in either my 2009 or 2010 during the Dakar shows that I’ve mastered this. Experience definitely counts.
NOX: Did the Rally try your patience?
CS: At times, but this is one of the big differences between cross country and sprint rallies: throughout the entire rally, during the stages, even in the bivouac – you have to stay patient. Particularly during the Dakar, it’s just not possible to ride your luck; the sport is way too complex for this.
NOX: You are unbeaten up to now with your new co-driver Lucas Cruz. What makes the difference?
CS: Things went well from the beginning and we won the test rallies in Brazil and in the Orient. We have a good relationship with each other and Lucas does an excellent job. From the strategic point of view each victory was well driven – we both did our job very well.
NOX: As a driver, how do you keep your motivation?
CS: I always tell myself, “you have to win for your guys.” Winning is the best motivation. The team is fully and entirely devoted to winning, and you can only reward this incredible performance by permanently doing your utmost.
NOX: With the Dakar win, have you now achieved everything you wanted to in motorsport?
CS: In life you always need goals to work towards. If you achieve one of these goals the relief is enormous – at first. But then you have to set yourself new goals. Perhaps VW will move into Formula 1 – that would be just at the right time for me…!
