astara will enter the 2023 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia with a top-class team. Laia Sanz, Carlos Checa and Oscar Fuertes will be the main drivers of the "astara 01 Concept”, which has improved in terms of sustainability and technology since the last event.
astara recently presented its plans for the upcoming Dakar Rally in Madrid, which will take place in Saudi Arabia at the end of the year. The astara TEAM is led by Laia Sanz, Maurizio Gerini, Carlos Checa, Marc Solà, Oscar Fuertes and Diego Vallejo. They will drive the new “astara 01 Concept”, which has undergone a huge improvement in performance in order to complete the Dakar with the smallest possible carbon footprint and once again become the most sustainable vehicle of the competition. A team consisting of more than 30 people will work at the highest level to prove that technological excellence and competitiveness are compatible with environmental friendliness.
With e-fuel towards our long-term goal
For the second year in a row, astara aims to showcase and deliver on its values and objectives in one of the most demanding racing events in the world. As in last year's rally, the “astara 01 Concept” is 90% powered by e-fuel (compared to 70% last year). In addition, the vehicle has undergone a number of improvements: less weight, more power, and the possibility of carrying a third spare wheel, which offers an enormous advantage in terms of competitiveness. Technical responsibility for the race car lies with SMC Motorsport under the direction of Gonzalo de Andrés.
The astara TEAM is thus returning to the Dakar Rally with the long-term goal of becoming the most sustainable and environmentally friendly team. Moreover, the participation underlines astara's guiding principle of enabling people to move forward – with efficient and intelligent solutions that offer environmentally friendly mobility for all needs.
Diversity and experience
The astara TEAM is not only setting new standards in terms of technology, but also in terms of representativeness: Diversity is a top priority in the team, which is why a high value was placed on a prominent presence of women. With the renowned racing driver Laia Sanz at the helm and professionals such as Jessica Nebra, who can look back on 25 years of experience in racing, as well as Iona Hernández, who has already gained experience in karting, IMSA, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the WEC, the Dakar and many more, astara is making a bold statement.
“I am very excited to be part of this project with a much more sustainable car and a team that is keen to reduce its carbon footprint and promote diversity. I am confident that my co-driver Maurizio and I will do a great job – and so will the whole astara TEAM!”
Laia Sanz, astara Team Pilot Dakar 2023
The Dakar 2023 will be held in Saudi Arabia for the fourth consecutive year. It starts on 31 December on the Red Sea coast near Yanbu al-Bahr and finishes on 15 January in Ar-Dammam, on the Persian Gulf coast. The route crosses the country from west to east and passes through Rub al-Khali, the largest continuous sand desert in the world, also known as "the Empty Quarter".
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