Dakar 2024 – Prologue: Mattias Ekström sets the fastest time
It's time for the Dakar 2024! The schedule for the day includes a 157-kilometer prologue, with 27 kilometers as a special stage around Alula. Swedish driver Mattias Ekström, who set the fastest time in his Audi, will have the opportunity to choose his starting position for tomorrow's first stage.
The participants in the Dakar 2024 started the world’s largest rally-raid this morning from Alula. They have 7891 kilometers ahead, including 4727 kilometers of special stages, across the vast expanse of sand that the Saudi Arabia represents.
This prologue aims to define the starting order of the first stage, which will lead the competitors eastward to Al Henakiyah. Therefore, there is no overall ranking at the end of this first day, but only a ranking based on the established times.
It is the Swede Mattias Ekström who achieved the fastest time at the wheel of his Audi RS Q e-tron E2. Co-piloted by his compatriot Emil Bergkvist, he is ahead of the Toyota duo Seth Quintero/Dennis Zenz and the Prodrive Hunter of Sébastien Loeb/Fabian Lurquin. The three crews are separated by 38 seconds.
A little further, we find Stéphane Peterhansel and his co-driver Edouard Boulanger in the Audi number 202 in 7th place (+45”), as well as the defending champions Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel in 12th position (+1’01”). As for Carlos Sainz in the third Audi, he took no risks and finished 48th, more than two minutes behind.
Prologue Ranking
| Concurrents | Team | Times / Gaps | |
| 1 | Ekström / Bergkvist | Team Audi Sport | 12:04:30 |
| 2 | Quintero / Zenz | Toyota Gazoo Racing | +00:00:23 |
| 3 | Loeb / Lurquin | Bahraïn Raid Xtreme | +00:00:38 |
| 4 | Baumgart / Cincea | X Rally | +00:00:38 |
| 5 | Baumgart / Andreotti | X Rally | +00:00:44 |
