The bad news was confirmed as night closed in on the Dakar Rally bivouac, and Sainz dropped out for good after his major accident on the ninth stage - won by Sebastien Loeb - of the world's toughest race.
The Spanish driver received medical assistance for chest pains and even got into the medical helicopter, but returned to try to get his Audi RS Q e-tron E2 back to the bivouac after just five kilometres of the special stage.
