Lorenzo Santolino will compete in the Dakar 2024 in January, which will be his sixth participation – always as a factory rider for Sherco. So far, he has achieved a sixth place as his best result, but after a year focused on the development of the bike in 2023, he wants to do even better.
In an interview with the event’s website, the Spanish rider explained that this year’s focus was on the development of the bike, and the strategy seems to have paid off: ‘This year, together with the team, we decided not to participate in all rounds of the World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) and use that budget to develop and test the bike. We did smaller races and, in the end, we did the Rally of Morocco. We had time to do some tests in Morocco during the summer to develop things on the bike. I think it was positive. We took a step forward. In fact, in the Rally of Morocco, I consistently stayed in the front group, especially in the first sections of the stage. We improved the handling and stability of the bike. And basically, we also improved the reliability of the engine without seeking more performance. We also worked on the suspension and geometry of the bike to improve overall handling’.
As for his goals, Santolino wants to finish in the top five, although he knows it won’t be easy: ‘The goal is still to finish in the top five. It’s getting increasingly difficult to break into the top five, with more riders fighting at the top, but if we have two good weeks, I believe we can achieve it’.
