Dakar

[johnny comelately]

"A thrill for those who go, a dream for those at home. That emblematic sentence remains ever so present in the spirit of all those in love with the Dakar Rally. More than ever, the event gathers motorsport fanatics in a quest for adventure, speed and freedom.
Ladies and gentlemen, hello and welcome to the presentation of the 2023 Dakar. The time has come to unveil the mysteries of the greatest rally-raid in the world and present the brand-new course of the 45th edition, entirely in beautiful Saudi Arabia.
David Castera, director of the Dakar has just returned from the Middle East after weeks of designing the course
This is what they discovered and designed for the competitors of the 45th edition."

[johnny comelately]

One common name from the Dakar and in the Extreme E series where she partners Carlos Sainz Senior is Laia Sanz.
"She is a fourteen-time Women's Trial World Champion and ten-time Women's Trial European Champion in outdoor motorcycle trials", then...
" In 2011, she participated for the first time in the Dakar Rally, winning the Female motorcycle category and finishing 39th overall, a position that she managed to repeat a year later. " then..
"In 2015, Sanz achieved her best finish and also the best finish ever for a female rider at the Dakar, taking 9th place in the motorbike class on a Honda.
In the 2016 edition of the Dakar Rally, Sanz raced for KTM and placed 15th in the motorbike general ranking.
In 2020 Dakar Rally Laia finished 25th overall. "

[johnny comelately]

About 27 days to go. A bit more appetite whetter...
Decribed by one competitor that there is the Indy 500, Monaco GP and Dakar!

[johnny comelately]

Audi Dakar Rally 2023: The new RS Q e-tron (Behind the scenes)
The alternative drive concept combines an electric drivetrain with a high-voltage battery and a highly efficient energy converter for the first time. Cross-country rallying will be the spearhead of the factory motorsport commitment in the future.

NICE facility.
Ethanol for the ICE from waste food.

[hollus]

electric drivetrain with a high-voltage battery and a highly efficient energy converter for the first time.

Some marketing guys got too high, or is there something actually innovative there? More details is there is, please!

[johnny comelately]

Last years version, evo2 same layout

[hollus]

[johnny comelately]

[johnny comelately]

Stage 9
this is becoming the real Grand Prix...

[Wouter]

Ales Loprais leaves Dakar after collision and death of spectator

More details have emerged on Wednesday morning about the accident that took place in the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally.
An Italian spectator died after - as it now appears - colliding with class leader Ales Loprais.
The Czech trucker left the race.

Loprais: "When we came back from the ninth stage, they informed me of this sad news," Loprais said in a statement. "We were already in bed, but the Dakar stewards showed us footage of an accident during the race. We hit a man who was photographing us while standing in the dunes. He was injured. He became unwell after two or three hours and had a heart attack when he was taken to hospital. It took a human life, and indirectly it is my fault because I was driving. I have to acknowledge that we didn't notice anything at all. We have onboards and other video footage to prove that, but that does not change the fact that the man died."

"I would like to convey my sincere condolences to his family and friends. I am extremely sorry that this incident took place.
I will carry this with me for the rest of my life."

The organisers and local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Loprais dropped out of the Dakar Rally.
He was the overall leader at the start of stage 10.
His abandonment means that Janus van Kasteren is the new leader in the race, although that is obviously of secondary importance at the moment.

Translated with www.DeepL.com

https://nl.motorsport.com/dakar/news/kl ... /10419290/

[johnny comelately]

[F1NAC]

Ales Loprais leaves Dakar after collision and death of spectator

More details have emerged on Wednesday morning about the accident that took place in the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally.
An Italian spectator died after - as it now appears - colliding with class leader Ales Loprais.
The Czech trucker left the race.

Loprais: "When we came back from the ninth stage, they informed me of this sad news," Loprais said in a statement. "We were already in bed, but the Dakar stewards showed us footage of an accident during the race. We hit a man who was photographing us while standing in the dunes. He was injured. He became unwell after two or three hours and had a heart attack when he was taken to hospital. It took a human life, and indirectly it is my fault because I was driving. I have to acknowledge that we didn't notice anything at all. We have onboards and other video footage to prove that, but that does not change the fact that the man died."

"I would like to convey my sincere condolences to his family and friends. I am extremely sorry that this incident took place.
I will carry this with me for the rest of my life."

The organisers and local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Loprais dropped out of the Dakar Rally.
He was the overall leader at the start of stage 10.
His abandonment means that Janus van Kasteren is the new leader in the race, although that is obviously of secondary importance at the moment.

Translated with www.DeepL.com

https://nl.motorsport.com/dakar/news/kl ... /10419290/

People are sometimes ... how to be polite.... I mean what was the guy thinking, standing behind the dune, where tracks were visible so basically he was covered by dune and on the vehicle trajectory..

[johnny comelately]

Ales Loprais leaves Dakar after collision and death of spectator

More details have emerged on Wednesday morning about the accident that took place in the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally.
An Italian spectator died after - as it now appears - colliding with class leader Ales Loprais.
The Czech trucker left the race.

Loprais: "When we came back from the ninth stage, they informed me of this sad news," Loprais said in a statement. "We were already in bed, but the Dakar stewards showed us footage of an accident during the race. We hit a man who was photographing us while standing in the dunes. He was injured. He became unwell after two or three hours and had a heart attack when he was taken to hospital. It took a human life, and indirectly it is my fault because I was driving. I have to acknowledge that we didn't notice anything at all. We have onboards and other video footage to prove that, but that does not change the fact that the man died."

"I would like to convey my sincere condolences to his family and friends. I am extremely sorry that this incident took place.
I will carry this with me for the rest of my life."

The organisers and local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Loprais dropped out of the Dakar Rally.
He was the overall leader at the start of stage 10.
His abandonment means that Janus van Kasteren is the new leader in the race, although that is obviously of secondary importance at the moment.

Translated with www.DeepL.com

https://nl.motorsport.com/dakar/news/kl ... /10419290/

People are sometimes ... how to be polite.... I mean what was the guy thinking, standing behind the dune, where tracks were visible so basically he was covered by dune and on the vehicle trajectory..

Very true, and the problem is across all rallies. Human nature forgetting the first rule.
There will be a headline disaster and the organisers will have to curtail track proximity.

[johnny comelately]

[johnny comelately]

La Grand Prix
Finis