He is the leader of Extreme E with his partner Mattias Ekström. This comes from showing his very quick entry sardinia with the Acciona team | Sainz XE Team. however, Laia Sanz (December 11, 1985, Corbera de Llobregat, Barcelona) He still doesn’t have anything clear for Dakar 2023.
Besides his many world titles in trial and enduro, Laia is a global icon for girls and women who dream of becoming pilots in the future. He broke the mold in the world’s toughest race, going head-to-head with the best two-wheeled raid drivers with results already part of racing history, always fighting for the Top-15 from 2014 to 2021, even achieving an incredible Top-10 (9th in 2015) in the toughest and most dangerous discipline of Dakarian adventure. It is a reference for women all over the planet. Without going any further, South African Kirsten Landman assured MD at the 2023 Dakar that Laia inspired her to want to become a pilot. From Corbera de Llobregat, to reach the heart of a girl over 11,000 km away. And like him, there are many others. For this reason, it is noteworthy that when Laia wanted to jump on four wheels to continue making history, she did not receive all the support expected.
The money
The Corbera de Llobregat driver has been working on his 2024 project since he returned from Dakar 2023, where he competed for the second consecutive year in cars. He not only has to worry about driving, but also about finding a project that will allow him to continue growing in cars. Pilot and manager at the same time, this is the life of Dakarians. In 2021 he tested the change to 4 wheels with a Mini to learn. In 2022, he wanted to jump to quality with a buggy, but he had too many engine problems and couldn’t push as much as he wanted, besides he didn’t have a car that could fight for a higher level because the so-called T1+ is superior. For this reason, at the Dammam finish line, on January 16, Laia clarified what was the only item on her wish list for the Three Wise Men: “I would ask for a T1 Plus. In this world of cars it’s complicated. We’ll see. Hopefully.”
Weeks passed and Laia said that to achieve the T1+ she needed “won the lottery” This is not an exaggeration. Budgets are huge to get a car of the highest category. Perfectly we can say 1 million euros in a competitive program for Dakar in the top class. There are some pilots who compete for free, the case of officials. And the rest of the flyers are raffled off by those who have money.
Laia doesn’t have that kind of budget and needs the support of brands, companies that see in her the same thing that thousands of girls seewhich has it as Kirsten Landman told MD: “Laia is the best of all time. I learned from her that anything is possible. I grew up watching Laia Sanz and now I feel like I’m having an impact on those too woman of my country”. 7 months later, Laia still doesn’t know anything about her future.
Ford, very difficult
Since the last Dakar there has been a rumor of a possible interest from Ford in him for his landing in the Dakar in 2024. The truth is that Laia participated in a test with the Ford Ranger T1+, before one of the best drivers of raids. , the Catalan Nani Roma too. And also as Gareth Woolridge.
Laia was fast in that test. He showed his speed. However, in the Ford, where at first it seems that more steering wheel is available, by 2024 they would have reduced their number of vehicles to just two units of Ranger T1+. The first car is for Nani Roma for its enormous speed, experience and capacity for development. And second should go to Gareth Woolridge, son of team owner Neil Woolridge Motorsport. (NWM) which will form the Ford structure with M-Sport in Dakar. And if there is anything else it seems clear that it will fall into the hands of an American pilot like Seth Quintero, pilot at home. And beyond the Ford, there’s little to choose from without enough cash in your pocket.
Laia has no relatives in the teams. Not even a million euros. It has speed, but in the world of motorsports, unfortunately, that is not enough., as happens in all categories and disciplines. For this reason, half a year after Dakar 2024, he still has no defined project and Consider other options so you don’t have to watch the Dakar from your sofa and cut your learning curve and projection on the world’s toughest race on four wheels.
Baja Aragón in T3 and possible option for Dakar
Knowing that there was little time left, Laia Sanz attacked. In addition to the brilliance of Extreme E, The Catalan will sit behind the wheel of a T3 (light vehicle prototype) to compete in the next Baja Aragón (July 21 and 22) with an Mce5 from the Wevers Sport team. Laia Sanz wants to stand out in the Aragonese event, the only Spanish test scoring for the FIA World Cup of Cross Country Bajas. It will be tested behind the wheel of a prototype of these characteristics to see what options are offered in the T3 category as a result of said involvement.
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Laia prefers to go to Dakar 2024 with T1+. It is his dream and he will fight for it. He doesn’t rule it out either, although he knows it’s very complicated. But I won’t look bad going to Dakar 2024 with a T3, a more attractive option at this point than coming back with a buggy or T1 in the car category because they are lower performance vehicles than the T1+, something that makes all the classification work more masked.
The move to T3 can be seen as a step back to take a lot forward. That means, in T3, a hard-fought and exciting category, he can aim for victory in the Dakar overall and make historyLaia’s speed can shine brighter in the fight for all and which could land him a T1+ dream or an official team in the next editions who wants to continue teaching the world by the example of Laia, a pilot who wants to continue breaking the mold.
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.
