This year, Lucas Lauda, the son of Niki Lauda, the legendary Austrian racer, three-time world champion, will take part in the Dakar rally, and we talked about it. 44-year-old Lucas and his German co-driver Stefan Henken are debutants in such competitions, and it is not surprising that after six days of battle on the track, their team only manages 19th place in the Challenger (SSV) class, as success in the Dakar mainly depends on experience.
Lauda and Henken drive a light Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo SUV and after the first half of the distance they have already built up a lead of almost 9 hours over the leaders, but they continue to fight.
“I like the adventurous spirit that characterizes this race,” Lauda told Gazzetta dello Sport. “But what I like most is that it requires a very thoughtful approach, and I inherited that quality from my father. This is my first time participating in the Dakar and my goal is to reach the finish, maybe even with a good result.
On the one hand, I have only been involved in rally raids for a year and a half, on the other hand, with such a name I am simply obliged to achieve high results! (laughs) I’ve been watching these races since I was a kid and dreamed of one day riding the Dakar on a motorcycle. When I was young I did motocross and always raced motorcycles.
But in 2022 I was introduced to equipment from the SSV class, this happened thanks to Heinz Kinigadner (Austrian motorcycle racer, three-time Dakar winner). He offered me a ride in such a car in Tunisia, and I immediately liked it. Last year I took part in the Hellas Rally (3rd place), in the Balkan Rally (4th place) and in Morocco I won the Touareg Rally.
Before that, over the years I have competed in DTM, GT racing, Formula 2000 and in the A1 GP series my brother Matthias and I had our own team.”
When Lucas was asked why he chose the SSV class over the more powerful T1 racing SUV, he cheerfully replied: “Because it costs too much! Moreover, I do not have enough experience, and even my physical training leaves much to be desired. And light SUVs are easier and more fun to drive.”
He also said that his father, Niki Lauda, was also fond of the Dakar rally raids, and that one of his close friends Carlos Sainz Sr.
“I really miss him,” Lucas admitted. – If I could go back in time, I would try to spend more time with him. But this was impossible because he dedicated his whole life to his work and Formula 1.”
Lucas Lauda adds that of the drivers of modern Formula 1, he pays the most attention to Max Verstappen: “Of course I have always supported Mercedes, because my father worked for this team, but I must honestly say: Max is currently the best. ”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
