THE Queen of the Desert returns to the Dakar with the intention of making up for the bad experience of last year, when in the first stage he suffered an accident that damaged his vehicle, to which is added an irregularity of 2 mm in the anti-roll bar detected … During the technical inspection, he forced it to abandon. It was the first time that Laia Sanz (Corbera de Llobregat, 1985) failed to finish the toughest and most prestigious rally-raid in the world of the fifteen editions in which she participated. Fourteen times world time trial champion and six times enduro champion, the Catalan is facing her fifth Dakar in a car after eleven on a motorbike. He will do it aboard a EBRO s800-XRR T1+a 4×4 prototype designed to compete in the highest category.
—On the exit ramp again after last year’s nightmare…
—Yes, very happy to return to the Dakar and with more enthusiasm than ever, with a very good project. What happened last year is a long way away. I am happy to return with Maurizio Gerini, my co-driver, and in this Ebro. The opportunity to race in a T1 Plus has finally arrived.
Dakar Editions
Laia has competed eleven times on a motorcycle and this year she will do so on a car for the fifth time in a row.
— Does the abandonment of last year weigh on you or is it forgotten?
— In the end, bad things always happen for a reason. You learn from everything and what happened last year too. I think I started very quickly, but in the end I was able to transform this sadness into motivation and now here we are. I wouldn’t have said it last year the way the Dakar ended.
— Used to always suffering until the end to obtain a project, was the arrival of Ebro in September a relief?
— Persevering, fighting and doing things well pays off in the end. It’s true that it took me a long time to get here, perhaps more than I expected, but in the end I think it also comes at a very good moment of experience. With Maurizio, we did a little military service, driving two-wheel drive cars, which taught us a lot. The Dakar hasn’t been easy, and with Xtreme’s experience, I think it’s the right time to get the most out of the car.
— But you didn’t deserve to suffer so much to find out if you could race the Dakar…
— Sometimes sport is like that and it’s more difficult to have a chance. There are people who are perhaps more at the right time and in the right place. In our case, we had to work hard, but we are here. I think that what’s more, when things cost you a lot, you value them more. And you work even harder and better, so hopefully now we can enjoy all this work we’ve done.
— Is this a challenge or an opportunity?
“It’s both an opportunity and a challenge. It’s a dream come true, but it’s also a challenge in the end. It’s a young and new team. For me, it’s also an added pressure because it’s the only car in the team. And you want to repay them for the trust they placed in me. When you put on the helmet and you’re in the first stage you forget everything and you start to really enjoy.
“Racing in the premier category is a dream come true but it is also a challenge, an additional pressure”
— He says it’s a dream come true. Do you have any dreams left to come true?
— I still have a lot of dreams to achieve, but I think we are on the right track. I would really like to see how far I can go in the Dakar on four wheels. Of course an opportunity like this is very good, it’s the start of something which I think can be very positive and which will give me the opportunity to drive more and more in a racing car. In the end, it also takes hours and it’s being in a professional team where I can concentrate on riding and preparing and not worry about other things. This is already a big step.
—What would I give to win?
— Thinking of winning the Dakar now is not realistic either. You have to be realistic, there is an incredible level both in terms of the cars and the drivers. We have a lot of world champions, a Loeb who has been world rally champion several times and who has not yet managed to win the Dakar… This shows how complicated a Dakar is. But that would give a lot to achieve a good result, but let’s look at this first year for the moment, let’s try to put a smile on the team’s face at the end of the Dakar and we’ll see.
“Thinking of winning the Dakar now is not realistic. But I would give a lot to get a good result.”
—Do you think you can sit at the table of favorites?
— No, not now. You have to be realistic. Even though there are many very high level drivers and teams, to really win a Dakar, I see 5 or 6 drivers, and then there are 10 others who could be there on the podium. But in the end, a lot happens on the Dakar, it’s not just the pace, it’s knowing how to manage the race, take care of the mechanics, not have problems… We’re going to try to do that well and we’ll see, but no, not yet in the favorites table for the moment, let’s hope that one day we’ll be there.
— How do you notice that they are looking at you at the bivouac?
“After so many years I have gained respect in the bivouac, especially on the motorbike, but I also think we have done a good job in the car. Maybe not with as many resources as the other drivers. I think I’m a respected driver, they know I’m here on my own merits and that I’m professional and competitive. This has been proven by finishing many Dakars and performing well.
— He will race against beasts like Sainz, Nasser, Loeb… on equal terms, finally…
— Yes, the fact is that I think there is still a way. We are a young team, the car is new, we still have to work on it, so to sit at the same table with them, both as a team and as a driver, there is still a long way to go, but I think we are on the right track.
—It is inevitable that they compare your results with those of Cristina Gutiérrez, does that bother you?
— Ultimately people compare, that’s normal. We also saw each other in Xtreme, but I think they are two different cases. She had the opportunity to run many races on four wheels and I still have this experience in the car on the Dakar. Cristina was able to participate in the World Rally Championships, in my case not yet, but I hope one day I can have this opportunity, I am on the right track. I’m not comparing myself, I just think it’s very good that there are two women on the Dakar, that we can both opt for good results.
—It is the competition in which there are no differences according to sex or categories… Is everything more equal?
—Yes, absolutely, I believe that on a motorcycle, it’s true that there is a physical difference, whether we like it or not, but in a car, it’s more a question of technique, hands and mentality. Lots of things, but there are no differences, so you can be competitive, like them. Now there are more girls in motorsport, with more opportunities each time and in this sense I think the situation is improving and we still have a long way to go.
—What objective is set?
— It’s a complicated question. I think you shouldn’t rush or be too impatient, especially at the beginning. You have to accelerate, know the car better, feel good and be aware of the youth of the team. This is the first year with this car, so let’s take it easy and see how far we go this year.
About The Author
