Jacky Ickx (Ixelles, Belgium, January 1, 1945) is known by all as one of the most accomplished pilots in history. won 6 times Le Mans. lose to Daytona. He was runner-up in F1 on two occasions, a contest in which he drove four courses and a half wearing Ferrari red to other teams. And of course, in addition to participating a dozen times the Dakar, can boast of winning the toughest race in the world. He did it in 1982 with a Mercedes 280 GE. Today, as ambassador of Dakar, he is still present in the bivouac of Dakar at 78 years old. There he did not hesitate to attend MD.
The atmosphere of Dakar is attached. You keep coming here year after year and you get to experience it yourself.
I would say that the Dakar is the standard race, no matter how many 20 or 30 years have passed. It’s the same story. For example, on Tuesday there was a storm, water everywhere and it was cold, there was a lot of water, and the motorcycle riders were soaked. It is difficult for them to ride wet on a 14 degree road or track. And what to say about the bivouac! It’s unbelievable. The spirit remains the same, of people who come to Dakar to find their personal goals, to find a path to follow in life. Here everyone has their own story.
What do you think when you see the cars around the bivouac or on the track? Want to ride in one and give gas?
No, no, not at all. I’ve done the Dakar 12 times in its day and it’s over. I’m 78 years old and now maybe I’m wiser, but I don’t think about it anymore because I know it’s over.
What do you think of Dakar Classic cars?
The Dakar Classic is perfect. I like speed, but Dakar Classic is good because there are so many beautiful cars on the track, challenging rocks, sand and other traps. Those who came to the Dakar Classic were very happy with this experience.
How do you see Carlos Sainz competing with the best at 60 years old?
And Peterhansel too! This is a career where you need a lot of experience. Having done many Dakars it shows, but I have to say that the speed of the current cars is very high and almost every day we see problems for one or the other. We are only in stage 3 and there is nothing. All the ‘Empty Quarter’ (empty room), the sand, the dunes are still there… My goodness. Things happen every day and that is the Dakar.
Do you think Carlos Sainz deserves another Dakar win before he decides to retire?
I’m not Carlos, but I think he’s still very fast and has a lot of experience. The fact of doing a Dakar more or less depends on him and this is his story. I don’t comment on these things because these types of riders are different people and Carlos is a great champion. Now his son drives for Ferrari in F1 and the story continues with Sainz jr. It was great to see Carlos Jr here in Dakar to see the race up close and I hope that in 10 or 15 years he will have the opportunity to ride in Dakar and feel the soul of this giant bivouac.
Fernando Alonso is probably there too.
Yes, definitely. After 40 there is still a great perspective on rally raids which is interesting. Here is the reality of the race. This run brings you back to earth.
Do you think Alonso will be able to win the Dakar in the future?
Why not?
Of course you can win the Dakar. Alonso needs to add kilometers, ride, experience, but F1 is still on his mind, so we will wait.
Do you think it’s right to stay a few years in F1 or if it were up to you, would you take him to the Dakar?
I don’t know Alonso’s secrets and he certainly hopes to continue for a few more years. This is your story, not mine. In life, in sport, there is always a day when you have to say goodbye. I think it’s better to leave before they kick you out.
Would you like to see him in the Dakar or the Indy500?
No doubt! Alonso has the ability to do many things.
How do you see Carlos Sainz jr at Ferrari this 2023?
It was seen this year. Carlos Sainz is very fast and the differences between him and Charles Leclerc are minimal. I think it might be first. This is a good story. He won one Grand Prix and more to come. The question is another, knowing if Fred Vasseur (new Ferrari Team Principal) has found a way to do things that Mattia (Binotto, former Ferrari boss) didn’t do. I think Mattia is a very good person and he took all the problems of Ferrari on his shoulders without telling anyone that he had to leave. We’ll see, we’ll see. At Ferrari things don’t change. It was the same 50 years ago.
Because it says so?
Ferrari is the heritage of all of Italy and everyone believes they have the solution to see Ferrari win again. In French you say ‘ya qu’à, ya qu’à’ (you must do it, you must do it). It looks easy and everyone has their idea, but Ferrari is really fast this year. It’s really strong.
Which driver on the current F1 grid is most similar to Jacky Ickx?
No one looks like me (laughs).
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
