The Catalan, eleven times finalist in motorcycles, makes her debut in cars with Maurizio Gerini as co-driver
BARCELONA, 18 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The rider Laia Sanz will make her debut in the next Dakar Rally 2022 in the car category, after eleven participations and finishes on a motorcycle with a historical ninth place included, by the hand of the powerful X-raid team and a Mini All4 Racing with which she trusts to embark on a “new adventure”.
“KH7 and Laia Sanz will write a new page in their success story when the 44th edition of the Dakar Rally starts its engines on January 1. After 11 participations in motorcycles, the Spanish rider will make her debut in cars aboard a MINI ALL4 Racing of the prestigious German X-raid trainer, “reported his press team.
Sanz, again accompanied by the brand of household cleaners KH7, assured that it was time to change the motorcycles for the car. “After 11 editions, I think I have achieved things that I would not have imagined before participating in my first Dakar. They have been great results, very good experiences, but also tough, and I think that for many things it was time to make a change. During my sports career, I have always liked to get out of my comfort zone and now I am launching myself on a new adventure “, explained the Catalan.
“It will be by car, with a MINI 4×4 from X-raid and I am very excited. I think this vehicle gives me guarantees of not having problems, of making a good debut and, above all, of trying to finish the Dakar, to learn as much as possible and try to do the best possible, “added Sanz, who already started as a car driver in the Extreme-E, with an electric vehicle.
As a regular in the ‘Top 20’ of the Dakar Rally in motorcycles, she is the only woman who finished ninth in the absolute classification, in 2015, and the only one among all the Spanish riders who finished her 11 consecutive participations on motorcycles. In addition, she has recently reached the figure of 20 world titles –14 Women’s Trial and 6 Women’s Enduro–.
Now he will try to repeat these successes on all four wheels. Laia Sanz will have Maurizio Gerini as a co-driver. The 36-year-old Italian has accumulated four participations in the Dakar, in which he has achieved two victories in the Marathon category (2018 and 2019), a 14th place (2019) as the best result in the general classification and an 11th position (2020) as best performance in a stage.
In addition, Gerini has been three times Italian Enduro Champion (2008, 2014 and 2017) and Italian Motorrally Champion (2017). “He has a lot of experience on a motorcycle and is a great navigator,” said Laia Sanz about her first co-driver in a Dakar Rally, which will be historic for her.
His car debut at the Dakar will be in a powerful MINI ALL4 Racing. However, the first test in which Laia Sanz will drive her Mini in the KH7 colors will be in the Ha’il International Rally, which will be scored for the FIA Cross Country World Cup and which will be held from December 6 to 11 in Arabia. Saudi.
“In order to prepare for the car debut in the Dakar, we are going to compete in Hail, where we hope to begin to understand each other and add kilometers that will be very important to get to the starting line on January 1st with some running-in. This test It is held in an area and terrain similar to those that we will find in the Dakar and that is why we will be there, “he commented.