The Catalan works to have a car that allows him to be “later” in the Dakar 2026
BARCELONA, 9 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish Rallys pilot Isidre Esteve (Repsol Toyota Rally Team) assures that after finishing his twenty -Dakar Rally, ten on motorcycles and now another ten in cars, and after taking steps forward, he is already prepared to aspire in the near future To be an official pilot of a brand that seeks the ‘Touareg’, and for now it is already working on having a better car, minimal semi -official, to face the 2026 Dakar with more ambitious objectives.
In an interview with Europa Press, the Catalan pilot explained that he is already prepared to, when possible, fight for a Dakar in an official team. “Until very recently I believed that this was not possible, going to an official team. I did not believe my Things in this way and now maybe I see that it is possible to sit in an official car.
For Isidre Esteve, which ended in the 32nd position in the absolute general of cars –22º in ‘Ultimate’-in the last edition, the goal to go to the Dakar 2026 Rally is to do it with a “latest generation” car, already be an “official or semi -official car” that allows “fighting for more important things.” “We are already working on the Dakar 2026 and we are working to step forward in that regard and to have a car and a team that allows us to be later,” he said.
Of course, he is aware that every important change takes time. “The only thing I am now convinced is that we will be more competitive in next year and we will have greater objectives for the next Dakar,” he reiterated.
In addition, it continues to advance in a Motorsport world that, in his opinion, is the “clear example” of what is inclusive sport. “Somehow I am grateful that I can compete in a high-level race and that my disability is not a problem to do so. For me the fact of going to a race and that Carlos Sainz, Nani Roma, Nasser al- Attiyah, Sébastien Loeb and I am one more is something that motivates me, “he was sincere.
But it is clear that no one gifted anything. “Now, if you are not competitive, you can do whatever you want and change things that you will not be. The important thing is to be competitive. The fact of being able to shoot sevenths or eleventh in the partial times (at some stage of the last Rally Dakar 2025 ) And see that behind you are important people and see that being with them, this is the important thing.
“I don’t know how many Dakares I want to do. As long as I find myself well, while I think I can do it well, while it is competitive, as long as I have the support of sponsorship to be able to compete with guarantees, I will continue to do so. In the end the age is not so important. Everything is how you find yourself physically and emotionally and what ambitions you have. The considered harder rally in the world.
The 2025 Dakar, marked by a stomach flu
An optimism that is not understood without the resilience of Isidre Esteve, which ended a 2025 Dakar in which he suffered, for days, a stomach flu. “The Dakar 25 did not start as we had planned. The fact of taking a stomach flu the first four days bothering me a lot and left for some KO moments and it was difficult for me to roll on the track. I did not think about leaving because in the end the Dakar is fifteen Days. Are you not going to find fifteen days, no?
“The best thing is to refuse, do you know? We are happy because once I began to find well, we were able to fulfill what we wanted in the Dakar; rolling with the first 20. We got to roll sevenths, elevenavos, seventeen in several moments in several moments I am happy to have taken a step forward, happy to be very competitive and see that we can be with the head group, which are 16-17 pilots who are fast. “, argument.
“Without mechanical problems we would be 15-16 but I don’t like to think ‘what if it hadn’t happened?’ Because if there would be no 10 pilots who are outside. When I could be competitive I was?