Audi to quit Formula E to race hybrid SUV in 2022 Dakar Rally

Audi has announced that the 2021 Formula E season will be its last as it switches resources to enter a battery-powered SUV in the 2022 Dakar Rally.

There are precious few details about the car Audi plans to enter into the Dakar against its petrol and diesel competitors, other than that it will compete with a powertrain that will use an electric motor combined with a high-voltage battery plus a turbocharged petrol engine that Audi has dubbed a "highly efficient energy converter".

Instead of driving the wheels, it's thought the turbo-petrol engine will act as a range-extender on the move, topping up the on-board batteries when needed during the race.

The pioneering powertrain, Audi claims, will be the first "viable alternative-drive" concept to have ever raced in the 42 years the Dakar Rally has been held.

The return to rallying in 2022 will also mark the first time Audi has competed in off-road racing since it won the 1987 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with its Quattro S1 E2, with German racer Walter Rohrl behind the wheel.

Audi's decision to leave Formula E, meanwhile, will be a significant departure for the emerging single-seat pure-electric race series.

The German brand has competed in Formula E since the inaugural 2014 season, with Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler winning the championship in 2018.

Along the way, Audi became the most successful team in the race series' history, securing 43 podium and 12 wins.

The car-maker said that moving to compete in the Dakar Rally is the "next step in electrified motorsport" with the extreme terrain and weather conditions claimed to provide a "perfect test laboratory" for future powertrains.

Audi's decision to pull the plug on Formula E comes just a week after it revealed its 2021 race car that featured a powertrain that was developed in-house for the first time.

The new powertrain replaces the unit that was created in co-operation with its technical partner Schaeffler.

It's believed that despite pulling out of the sport, Audi plans to continue to supply its new Formula E powertrain to other teams.

As well as racing in the Dakar Rally, Audi has also confirmed that it is preparing an entry in the Le Mans Daytona (LMDh) hypercar class in the World Endurance Championship.

Audi has not yet confirmed when it will first race, but both Toyota and Peugeot have already signed up to compete in 2022, with Lamborghini and Porsche rumoured to be also fielding an entry.

It's not just Formula E Audi is stepping back from; three weeks ago Audi ended its participation in the German DTM touring car series, ending two decades of racing dating back to 2000.

Commenting on the seismic shift in its motorsport activities, Audi Sport boss Julius Seebach said: "We have our customers’ wishes in mind as much as the company’s future strategy, which is clearly focused on electrification and carbon-neutral mobility.

"The most important message for our fans is that motorsport will continue to play an important role at Audi.”