Among the many novelties that will be in the 44th edition of the Dakar rallyOne of the most notable will be in the Spanish delegation. After eleven participations in the motorcycle category, Laia sanz will make the leap to cars, something that had already been suspected since landing in the Extreme E with the Acciona of Carlos Sainz by his side.
The ‘Matador’ will be precisely one of his rivals, although not direct. Sanz will debut in the toughest raid in the world at the wheel of a MINI All4 Racing prepared by the X-RaidIt is precisely a car identical to the one that the veteran driver from Madrid drove in his victory in 2018. It will be a reliable and regular car, which will allow him to aspire with certain guarantees to what will be his great goal in his debut on all four wheels: to finish the rally.
Loading tweet …
1461308045263355914
“After 11 editions, I think I have achieved things that I would not have imagined before participating in my first Dakar. They have been great results, very good experiences, but also tough, and I think that for many things it was time to make a change. During my sports career, I have always liked to get out of the comfort zone and now I am launching myself on a new adventure ”, highlights in a statement from KH-7 Sport, which will continue as one of its sponsors.
Along with the exmotard will be a co-driver who, like her, will be a debutant on all four wheels. It’s about Italian Maurizio Gerini, 36, who has contested four editions of the Dakar on a motorcycle and in two of them has achieved victory in the Original by Motul category, without assistance. This past gives him a good experience as a sailor, something that will be key to the success of this Dakar.
Together they will debut at the Ha’il International Rally, scoring for the FIA Cross Country World Cup and which will be held from December 6 to 11 in Saudi Arabia, near (but not on the same areas, something that is prohibited) from where weeks later the Dakar 2022 will start.
«We hope to begin to understand each other and add kilometers that will be very important to arrive with some filming to the starting line of next January 1. This test is held in an area and terrain similar to those that we will find in the Dakar and that is why we will be there, ”says the Corbera de Llobregat rider.