Camelia Liparoti enters her 14th Dakar Rally – sharing her thoughts on shakedown racing with X-Raid Team. Vivacious as ever, Camelia offers insight on how preparations have gone to race what has been described as the most difficult of Dakar’s with Prologue and 14 Stages starting on the shores of the Red Sea and finishing at Dammam on the coast of the Arabian Gulf.
With wealth of experience, knowledge and levels of endurance, Camelia rarely praises her own attributes on racing Dakar for 14 consecutive years. From debut entry in 2010 in Quad category, Camelia’s true spirit and sense of adventure racing the world’s most inhospitable terrain has surpassed any female rider and driver in Dakar Rally’s history books.
Take note of Camelia’s accomplishments. For 8 consecutive Dakar Rallies, the named ‘Pink Lady’ won the Quad Women’s classification 8x before switching to compete in SSV category in 2018. Behind the wheel, Camelia made short work on rising up the table rankings culminating in winning T3 and SSV Ladies category and 2nd Overall Dakar podium in Lightweight Prototype in 2021 with co-driver Annett Fischer.
For 2022 season, Camelia’s uncanny sense of how to approach her preparations for competing in the next Dakar, are neither carved in stone, nor reliant on results achieved in previous Dakar races. In fact, Camelia took time before racing behind the wheel, entering FIA Middle East Cup of 3 Rounds, at Qatar Baja, Ha’il Baja, and Dubai International Baja in second half of year.
Complimenting Camelia’s carefully crafted racing strategies, winning 2022 Middle East Cup in T4 category with co-driver’s Xavier Blanco Garcia and Taye Perry in Ha’il Baja was the perfect antidote prior to competing in 2023 Dakar Rally.
Welcoming the significance of collaborative work between Yamaha Motor Europe and X-Raid, Camelia shares her thoughts on racing X-Raid YXZ 1000R Turbo Prototype in shakedown, prior to the ultimate test of driver, co-driver, and vehicle performance racing Stages 1-14.
Camelia: ‘We had shakedown this afternoon and it was really good to get in the car before the start of the race. The feeling with the car is nice. I still have to get used to some reactions of the car because I’m obviously more used to the previous one but I’m very happy.
I think that the work that Yamaha Motor Europe and collaboration with X-Raid has now arrived at very nice point that we have a super product. We have many drivers from other teams who come to see our Yamaha so this is really rewarding to be honest.
Now, well I don’t want to sing victory before even starting but the situation is promising and concerning myself I am really super happy and proud to race for the third time, my the third Dakar with Yamaha X Raid team. I am looking forward really to discover this 2023 Dakar announced as difficult and longer and more interesting and so on by David Castera – so allez let’s go!
2023 Dakar Rally Stage 1 Sea Camp to Sea Camp January 1. Header photo: Camelia credit: X-Raid.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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