Biography Lucas Cruz

Experience counts

Lucas Cruz already has three Dakar victories to his name. He has shared each of these successes with Carlos Sainz. The Spanish duo have been competing in rallies together for 13 years now.

The two Spaniards first met 30 years ago. “Back then, Carlos was in charge of a development project for young Spanish rally drivers. I was one of the participants,” reports Lucas Cruz. It was the time when “El Matador” was one of the leading drivers in the World Rally Championship.

Even though their careers initially took separate paths and Lucas Cruz contested the Dakar with other drivers in both the car and truck categories, the two came together as a driver combination for the first time in 2009. The calm and level-headed navigator has experienced many situations in his life and knows how important it is to have a common basis of trust with his driver. “There is always high tension in the cockpit during these marathons, because just a small mistake by one of us can lead to major damage,” explains Lucas Cruz. This high tension can sometimes also lead to tension between driver and co-driver: “We often have to decide within milliseconds which route to take. Sometimes things go wrong and that naturally causes stress. But we basically have a good balance with each other.”

In his preparation, the 48-year-old Cruz leaves nothing to chance. He meets the high demands of the Dakar Rally with physical fitness through cycling and jogging on the mountain. But working with a sports psychologist is also important to the co-driver in order to optimize his reaction time and multitasking. The Spaniard counts the 48-hour test on the sixth stage in January 2024 as one of the biggest challenges. “We have to maintain the car ourselves with on-board tools because we spend the night away from the team. There is no proper catering for us, no toilets or showers. At night, the temperatures are low at this time of year and we sleep in small tents for one person. These are really tough conditions.”

He feels well prepared for these extreme circumstances and rates the many years of cooperation with Carlos Sainz accordingly highly. He also believes the team is in a good position. “We have rehearsed a lot of repair work in advance in order to be prepared. In addition, the team has focused very strongly on next January in recent months. Everyone is optimally prepared and highly motivated,” says Cruz confidently. So he can start the Dakar Rally with peace of mind.

Lucas Cruz (E)

Date of birth: December 26, 1974
Place of birth: Barcelona (E)
Place of residence: Caldes de Montbui (E)
Marital status: single, one daughter (Edurne)
Height/weight: 1.79 m/78 kg
Motorsport since: 1994 (Audi co-driver since 2021)

Career as a co-driver:

1994–2000 Rally co-driver
2001 Dakar Rally (driver José-Luis Monterde)
2006 Dakar Rally (driver Jean Pujol – Truck category)
2007 Dakar Rally (driver Nani Roma)
2009 Dakar Rally (driver Nani Roma), 1st place Silk Way Rally, 1st place Rally dos Sertoes (driver Carlos Sainz each time)
2010 1st place Dakar Rally, 1st Silk Way Rally (driver in each case Carlos Sainz)
2011 3rd place Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz)
2012 Dakar Rally (driver Nasser Al-Attiyah)
2013 Dakar Rally (driver Nasser Al-Attiyah)
2014 3rd place Dakar Rally (driver Nasser Al-Attiyah)
2015 Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz)
2016 Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz)
2017 Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz)
2018 1st place Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz)
2019 13th place Dakar Rally, 2nd place Morocco Rally, 2nd place Baja Sharqiyah (driver Carlos Sainz in each case).
2020 1st place Dakar Rally, 2nd place Baja Hail 1, 1st place Baja Hail 2 (driver Carlos Sainz in each case)
2021 3rd place Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz), Audi Dakar Project
2022 12th place Dakar Rally (driver Carlos Sainz) (Audi RS Q e-tron)
2023 Dakar Rally, Morocco Rally (driver Carlos Sainz) (Audi RS Q e-tron)

Facebook: @LucasCruz74
Instagram: @Lucas74Cruz
X (formerly Twitter): @LucasCruz74