Carlos Sainz drives his Peugeot 3008 DKR Maxi on the streets of Madrid

Carlos Sainz and Luis Cruz have entered through the front door in Madrid, mounted on the authentic Peugeot 3008 DKR Maxi with which they won the Dakar 2018. In anticipation of passers-by, have driven through the streets of the capital until you reach the very Puerta del Sol, where they have been honored for their victory. The car, still with the signs of having run through the difficult terrain of the competition, will remain in the Royal Post Office, as part of an exhibition that will last all weekend.

During their journey, they have stopped to be able to greet onlookers and admirers. At which point, to everyone's surprise, they have put the car on two wheels using the lateral elevation system, which has the car integrated to change the tires. Shortly after, they entered the emblematic building, not without some difficulty due to the size of the SUV, which is 19 cm wider than the previous edition.

A Dakar SUV in the heart of Madrid

Once the vehicle was placed in the delimited area for the exhibition, the champions received a memorial plaque by the Madrid authorities in an act in which Carlos Sainz dedicated a few words to teamwork with his Catalan teammate: «Sport shows that a driver from Madrid and another Catalan are capable of fighting for the same goal and bringing to Spain a trophy that makes us feel very proud. I hope this serves as an example."

For his part, co-driver Lucas Cruz declared that his victory is "a reflection of very hard work faced with tenacity [...] The result is here and it is the merit of many people who have worked behind it, such as the mechanics, and in my case I I feel very comfortable with Carlos in a small office of one square meter ».