The Repsol Toyota Rally Team concluded the Rally Raid of Portugal, the third round of the FIA World Championship in the specialty, in a unique way after five days of maximum physical and technical demands. Isidre Esteve and his co-driver Txema Villalobos showed that no type of terrain or condition could stand against them, despite the fact that the Oliana driver had to drive with his hands due to a spinal cord injury sustained him in 2007. Their exceptional management of Pace allowed them to finish in 9th position in the premier category (Ultimate) after battling every day with the best in the discipline.
Since last Wednesday, the Spanish couple had to face an extremely difficult route, very different from the open terrain of the Dakar Rally, and with mud and water as the main conditions. The rains of the past weeks and days have significantly changed the Portuguese tracks and forced the drivers to push themselves in their driving every day. This kind of winding and slow phase has made life more complicated for the latest generation 4×4 prototypes – such as Esteve’s Toyota Hilux T1+ – compared to light vehicles, which weigh less than half.
In a new display of improvement and cool head, the pilot from Ilerda put together a very good performance every day to finish in the top 10 of the Ultimate category (9th, 1h 01 behind the winner), which includes the best international rally raid pilots, and is in the top 20 of the absolute general classification. A result that represents an important boost for the rest of the season in preparation for what will be his 20th participation in the Dakar Rally.
“We knew that the Rally Raid of Portugal would be different, without navigation, with very narrow tracks that I remember when I came to the race on a motorcycle. Furthermore, last week it rained heavily, which accumulated a lot of mud on the track and it was very difficult for us. Then, when we entered Badajoz a few days ago, we had a more open and fast special, where we had a lot of fun with the public. For me it’s been 100% good piloting training. We had a good run throughout the race, we took risks where we felt we could, but always held back a little because it’s the key to get to the end in one piece. This was our first race in preparation for Dakar 2025, and in the end we also got a good result, so we are very happy,” at the end of the rally in Grandola.
The next competitive event for Isidre Esteve and Txema Villalobos is the Morocco Rally (October 7-11), the final round of the 2024 Rally Raid World Championship, where they hope to debut the V6-powered version of the Toyota Hilux T1+ .
Eduard Pons ended his participation in the Rally Raid of Portugal prematurely
Eduard Pons and the Pons Rallysport team ended their participation in the Rally Raid de Portugal earlier than expected due to an accident in the fourth stage (SS5). Despite the efforts of the Past Racing mechanics, who successfully repaired the breakdown on the Ford Ranger T1+ the previous day, Saturday’s day presented an unexpected challenge that prevented the driver from Ilerda from completing the race.
“The positive side we took away from this experience is that we had a very good pace and the car has potential. Now it’s time to see how we can rethink the next steps. I want to thank the structure of Daniel Alonso’s Past Racing for their work these days.
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.
