He Team Astara This Wednesday he presented his exciting project for Dakar 2024where they will once again compete in the car category Laia Sanz and Maurizio Gerini as columns of a group where Oscar Fuertes He is no longer behind the wheel to direct everything from the field and a new crew will join. Within The Astara Team will have 100% women behind the wheel. In addition to Laia Sanzthe other vehicle will pilot it Patricia Pitathe first Uruguayan to compete in the Dakar and will do so for the second time, with his navigator Paolo Boggini.
To face the 2024 edition of the toughest race in the world, which will start next January, and where there will be a route that will be 60% new, Laia Sanz and Patrizia Pita will have a new car, the Astara 02 Concept , representing a step forward for the Spanish team.
“We are very happy. This is an important step within the 2-wheel drive category. We’re releasing a lot of stuff and we’re going to be more competitive than ever. It is a very light car, the lightest in the category, with more autonomy, and with important changes such as going from a V8 engine to a biturbo V6, which is more compact, smaller, runs faster and provides allow us to keep everything. better because it can be accommodated lower down. Car performance is better. The first time Laia rode, she told me she had a lot of fun, and that’s good because she’s a bit critical.”Óscar Fuertes commented with laughter.
Laia, excited about her new car
“The behavior of the car has improved because the weight is lower, the engine is lower. The behavior improves, the suspensions are better. And consume less, which ultimately matters. And you have better visibility, something that seems silly but is key in the sand dunes. This is one of the weak points of the car and this year in the sense that it has improved: It is small steps that we are taking and the aim is to make steps in terms of results, stages and at the end of Dakar as well”said a very motivated Laia Sanz.
Laia will complete his fourth third participation in Dakar cars and his 14th overall after finishing 11 Dakars out of 11 possible on a motorcycle. With 13 out of 13, without ever abandoning, he now leaves the “cursed number”, which he will always remember for the enormous difficulties he had to face last year to reach the goal, and begins to think about 14th participation in the Dakar which he considers very exciting.
“If there is still Laia released? Of course. Of course. I am a newbie when it comes to cars. Although I have completed 14 Dakars, this will be my third in cars. I still have a lot to learn. Yes, it’s true that I think I’ve improved a lot in these three years also thanks to Extreme E, but I still have a lot left, and the truth is that last year in the stages where we were able to run. is at a good pace, but we are waiting this year to finish the good stages and have a good Dakar, to work well and have a smart race. Let’s see if we can have a good day and in the end a good Dakar too, of course,” commented Laia.
“We finally left number 13, which didn’t bring us much luck last year. Really looking forward to this new Dakar”he added, recalling the many problems he suffered last year, finishing the 2023 Dakar with thirty-two places in T1 and sixty-five in the overall car standings.
“I think when you overcome a difficult Dakar like last year, it makes you stronger. You have to gain experience, everything you learn and in the end in Gerini there are two options: either you lose hope to death or it binds you more. And this is the second case. We know how to recover from all the difficulties and the team also made a huge effort to get us out every day and I look forward to it. We have made a step forward on the technical side, with a new car,” highlighted the Catalan.
“I have a lot of motivation and I want to remove that thorn from last year, that we know that we are fast, that the car works well and I want to be there,” concluded Laia Sanz, who will go for 14. of 14, and above all, to take a step forward to show his talent and finally he deserves to be given the chance of an official T1+ (top category).
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.
