Motorsports
Driving the Dakar car using only his hands, without using his legs, impressed him: “It’s like playing.”
Isidore Esteve He is a role model for everyone as he has been breaking barriers since sustaining a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident in 2007. He uses a control device based on the Guido simplex to pilot the Dakar using only his hands, without the use of his legs. He uses it to compete with the best players in the world.
Competing with just your hands is already at a disadvantage compared to other drivers, but with a lot of work and experience, Isidore has learned how to perform multiple movements such as acceleration, braking, turning, changing gears, and activation. By automating this, we were able to minimize this. Hold the clutch with your hands and fingers. “It’s like playing a game, it happens automatically without you thinking about it.”Isidore says while comparing his own movements with the movements of his fingers. “X”, “R2”, “Round” To face the most dangerous desert.
Many people leave it at that. But things go further. The disadvantages that Isidore has to face are even greater in important respects. He is insensitive from the chest down. That’s an important aspect.
Some of the best drivers of all time in various fields have revealed that the best “sensor” for adjusting the car is the rear. And in Isidore’s case, he can’t feel the car start to slide or lose grip because he can’t feel anything in that area or in his legs. Esteve realized this later when he saw the car passing by. This means that at critical moments such as hard braking or sudden acceleration, Isidore can lose crucial seconds. Stages longer than 500 km may result in a loss of several minutes.
What should you do in that situation? Anticipate
Given this, Isidore must rely on learning and mental clarity. We must move forward. With years of experience, he has learned techniques to predict what will happen, anticipate that the car may skid or react differently, act faster and waste as little time as possible. I was able to make it perfect.
“Under normal circumstances, when the car moves or reacts, you feel it right away. But I have a spinal injury, I fractured my T7 and T8 vertebrae, and I can no longer feel it from the chest down. So, “when the car starts skidding, you don’t realize it’s skidding until you see it,” he says..
“So I have to predict the car’s reaction, because I don’t have the sensitivity that other drivers have,” Isidore insists to MD.
“I’m learning that. You always have to anticipate the rest a little bit. If the car is about to skid, you have to correct a little bit before you feel it, because it feels slower than the rest. So the second thing is don’t cross too many cars and don’t waste your time.”he added.
“Ultimately it’s a matter of having to adapt your driving to your circumstances. It seems normal to me and I think it’s in a continuous learning process as I become more predictable, like opening the gas earlier and braking later. Masu. ”
To explain it more clearly, it’s as if the rest of the pilots were using the simulator, and the simulator moves and gives you the full feeling of being in control. Isidore plays with a PlayStation controller, but does not notice anything, and does not react when he realizes that he has lost his car. “I never thought about it, but it’s true,” he admitted to MD.
“That’s exactly right. Without a simulator, if you just play around with it, you don’t notice what the car is doing. Whereas with a simulator, the inertia when you apply the brakes and the inertia when you apply the brakes. ” You should notice that too, it would be a good comparison. ”. This takes away a tenth of what you have to recover by anticipating the car’s reaction. pure magic. “Well, we’re doing what we love, and that’s good,” he said, as if what he did was a simple thing.
So, while we understand this double complexity, it is easier to understand the incredible results in the extremely demanding Dakar, which brings together more than 50 top-class cars. Before the vest Isidore is aiming to break into the top 20. Just your hands. And a smart mind.
This is how Isidore Esteve’s special steering wheel works
Isidore Esteve can’t use his legs, so he competes against the world’s best drivers who use only his hands to drive. You step on the brakes, accelerate, release the clutch, change gears, and do it all by hand. Just your hands and fingers.
This is achieved through controls adapted from Guidosimplex.the same one he carries on the streetcar. These controls or adaptive steering wheels have two key elements: a rounded surface on the inside of the steering wheel (accelerator) and an outer ring behind the steering wheel (brake).
“Due to my spinal cord injury, I cannot use my legs and am completely restrained by hooking my legs and knees to the seat. That way your legs won’t move and get in the way. To drive I take my steering wheel and turn, and in its central part there is a very sensitive accelerator. and accelerate with the palm of your hand Because your fingers are on the steering wheel. There is a ring at the back that acts as a brake. Push towards yourself to apply the brakes. The brake ring also rotates automatically, allowing you to apply the brakes while turning. Otherwise you won’t be able to apply the brakes. ” Oriana explains to this newspaper:
Isidore turns the steering wheel while accelerating with one hand, and changes gears with the sequential shift lever with his right hand.And you can do the following Apply the brake by pulling on the rear rim with the fingers of your left hand. The rear rim rotates in the same way as the steering wheel, allowing Isidore to change direction and brake at the same time, even requiring him to downshift with his right hand.. All this is done in tenths of a second with very fast, rhythmic movements, perfectly choreographed to impress from the co-pilot’s seat, and which Isidore repeats constantly during the long stages of the Dakar, which span hundreds of kilometers.
“We are used to seeing drivers driving down the motorway with one hand on the gearbox or both hands on the steering wheel. But for me it’s many things at the same time. Sometimes, even when slowing down very quickly, you need another hand because you have to hold the brakes and the steering wheel and downshift at the same time. Or it won’t work if you put it in again. But I think we’re doing it faster and faster,” he says.
“Many times I put my hand on the steering wheel, accelerate with my palm, brake with the other hand, and instantly everything changes.”When I brake suddenly, the speed drops below 170km/h, so I always play with my hands. I always say that for me it’s like playing a game. I don’t think about what I’m doing, everything is internalized and automatedno problem. “When people ask me what I do all the time, I say I don’t know, because it’s something that automatically comes to mind,” he added.
“When I brake, I always slide my hand over it. For example, when I’m braking and I have to rotate the steering wheel to get back into position. Slide it up,” he added.
This requires incremental changes. To shift up, pull the lever back. To downshift, pull forward.
And the clutch used at the start Or prevent your car from stalling in complicated areas. To activate or deactivate it, you need to press a small cam attached to the gear lever.with short strokes using the index finger of the right hand. He also uses it when stopping the car again and in cases such as “If you see me trying to stop at the top of a sand dune, you can take it so the car doesn’t stall” . And furthermore, For tight corners, there’s another lever for rear brakes. can’t believe it. There are no other possible modifiers.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso added the new high-performance SUV Aston Martin DBX S to his car collection. The driver took delivery of the car, valued at more than $260,000, a few days before Christmas in Monte Carlo, where he was photographed next to the new product near the Aston Martin dealership in Monaco.
Powered by Mercedes’ 727 horsepower 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, the DBX S reaches 100 km/h in just 3.3 seconds. The new SUV joins Alonso’s collection, which already includes the Aston Martin Valiant and Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR.
With 2026 rule changes approaching, Alonso and Aston Martin hope the new DBX S will signal the beginning of better times. The team’s new technical partnership with Honda and Adrian Newey’s experience pave the way for Aston Martin to challenge for top spot next season.
Check out this post on Instagram
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
2025 Alex Parow It’s almost perfect. You can’t ask for more from a Catalan pilot. It’s a perfect example of how success can go beyond F1. The Sant Antoni de Vilamajor native achieved his third successive IndyCar title and fourth title in five years.
He achieved this with an overwhelming advantage over others. Win 8 of the 17 races that make up the entire calendar. With five wins from the first six races, the season couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. Three others then arrived and he finished the year with five more podiums. In total he scored 711 points, 196 more than second place in the contest, Pato O’Ward.
He was two wins shy of the single-season wins record held by AJ Foyt from the 1964 season, and one of nine achieved by Mario Andretti, another great legend of the competition. However, yesHe became the third driver in history to win the most IndyCar titles. And he trails only Scott Dixon (5th) and AJ Foyt himself (7th). Additionally, he joins Ted Horn, Sébastien Bourdais and Dario Franchitti on the short list of drivers capable of winning a third straight race.
“It’s been round so far and I hope it stays that way and continues to improve. I think it’s getting better every year. After winning my first IndyCar title in 2021, I thought it was already round and complete, but it’s getting better every year, so I couldn’t be happier,” Palou assessed during a visit to the MD editorial office in early December.
500 miles is a bonus
At the end of a dream year, Palou I was able to win the legendary Indianapolis 500.a thorn that had stuck inside him since he came to the United States. Practically on American soil, winning this event is more important than the championship, and that was the only thing Alex lacked, the Catalan having yet to win on the oval. Fortunately, he managed to take it off his wishlist in May this year, giving it his all and reaching a milestone that no other Spaniard can boast of.
He is undoubtedly a real “sheriff” of Indy and a great reference in this field, which has already spread its fame throughout Spain and Europe thanks to the person of Palou who has achieved everything. Now all I have to do is continue to have fun and dream big.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
among them Dakar 2026 there will be 113 Spanish participantsthen the second country with the most competitors. France (186) Each in a career pursuing their own dreams and adventures.
Cars/Ultimate
– 212: Cristina Grieres / Pablo Moreno, (Dacia), 1 title in Challenger, 2nd year in Queen class, 10th in Dakar
– 225: Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz, (Ford), 4 titles, 18th appearance
– 227: Nani Roma / Alex Haro, (Ford), 2 titles (1 motorcycle, 1 car), 28th appearance
– 232: Laia Sanz / Maurizio Gerini (Italy), (EBRO), 16th Dakar (5th by car after 11th by bike). Debuted in queen class T1+.
– 231: Ferran ‘Nandou’ Joubany / Marc Sola (MD), 2nd place in Dakar on motorcycle in 2018
– 233: Isidor Esteve / Chema Villalobos, (Repsol Toyota), 20th place in Dakar (10 cars, 10 motorcycles)
– 244: Jesus Calleja / Edu Blanco, (Santana Racing), 6th place in Dakar with car
– 266: Pedro Peñate / Dani Mesa, (TH-Trax), 9th place in Dakar, competed in motorcycle and three car categories (Ultimate, Challenger, SSV).
– 272: Jordi Torras/Santi Costa, (MD Rally Sports), 3rd place in Dakar, returns at age 65 after 36 years
Other Spanish co-pilots: Armando Monleón (Toby Price, 204 years old), Oriol Mena (Guy Botterill, 218 years old), Rosa Romero (María Gameiro, 248 years old).
Inventory (commercially available cars)
– 502: Oriol Vidal (Rokas Basiuska’s co-pilot, defender)
Bike:
GP Rally:
– 15: Lorenzo Santorino (Sherco), 8th appearance, ranked 6th in 2021, arrives after injury
– 68: Tosha Chalayna (Honda HRC), big favorite, 2nd place in 2025
– 73: Edgar Canet (KTM). One of the great jewels of the present and future. Second participation
Rally 2:
– 78: Arnau Jed (Pedrega Team), debut
– 1995: Juancar Torres (Motoclub Albacete), debut
– 115: Mario Garrido (Pedrega Team), third participation, 2nd place on bike
– 117: Ricardo Lastra (Old Friends Family), debut
– 130 Inigo Zardoya (Joyride Race Service), debut
– 132 Carlos López Veloso (Pedrega Team), debut
– 133 Dominique Cizot (Xraids Experience), second participation
– 138 Juan Carles Guillen (Pedrega Team), debut
Original by MOTUL, “Malle Moto” (unaided):
– 44: Josep Pedro (Rallybikes Pedregà Team), 3rd participation, 1st place with MOTUL original
– 51: Rachid Arral Rahadir (Melilla Ciudad del Deporte), 8th Dakar appearance, 4th place in the original competition
– 99: Javi Vega (Pon Group – Kove), 8th Dakar, MOTUL original and one of the favorites to win
– 119: Fernando Dominguez (Cuenca Regional Council 2026), third participation, first in the original.
– 129: Borja Perez (Melilla Ciudad del Deporte), debut
challenger
317: Oscar Lal/Fernando Acosta (ARG), (Vertical Motorsport), Vehicle: Taurus, 4th participation
– 336: Pau Navarro Ferrer / Jan Rosa (BBR), vehicle: Taurus, 6th participation (2nd place in Challenger). Jean’s speed debut, double classic victory
– 333: Joan Font / Adria Guillem, (Be Racing), 7th participation, co-driver debut
SSV
– 415: Gerard Fares / Toni Wingat, (Pedrega Team), Vehicle: Can-Am, 19th Dakar (8th SSV), 2nd SSV co-driver in quadruple.
– 422: Carlos Santaolalla / Alan Sor y Juanora (Pedrega Team), two-time Dakar Classic winner, makes his SSV debut. Second participation as co-pilot
423: Domingo Roman/Oscar Bravo (TH-Trucks), Vehicle: Polaris, 4th appearance
– 425: Joao Piferar/Xavi Blanco, (Buggy Masters Team), Vehicle: Can-Am, 2nd participation, 9th time as co-driver
– 431: Jose María Cami / Cristian Cami (Buggy Masters Team), Vehicle: Can-Am, Debut
track
– 618: Manuel Bolero / Charlie Gotlib (Belgium) / Adrian López (Dacia Sandriders), fourth appearance as a driver, Adrian’s debut.
– 623: Alberto Herrero / Paulo Oliveira (MOZ) / Mario Rodríguez Sastre (TH-Trax), 14th participation as a driver, 4th participation as Mario
– 626: David Lopez, Dave Ingels (BEL), (SVR) Mechanic, Debut
– 630: Pol Tibau / David Nadal / Daniel Vaz Iglesias (Tibau Team), first appearance as a driver after three co-driver appearances with two debutants.
– 634: Javier Jacoste Oca / Francisco Estelle Fernández / Gerard Rivas, (Buggy Masters Team), second participation
– 637: Jesus Borrero / Emilio Fils / Alberto Fils del Teso (Tibau Team), second participation as driver and co-driver, Alberto’s debut
– 639: Alberto Alonso Romero / Gustavo Ibeaz / Raul Arteaga, (TH-Trax), 6th appearance, Ibeas 2nd, Arteaga debut
– 644: Maria Helena Taruel Tibau / Jacqueline Ricci / Arancia Martí (Tibau Team), debut
– 648: Jordi Esteve / Francesc Pardo / Jordi Puyol (Tibau Team), 11th participation, 2nd place as co-driver and mechanic
– 649: Javier Herrero / Alfonso Herrero / Josep Maria Casas (TH-Trax), debut
dakar classic
classic car
– 702: Juan Morella / Lydia Luba, (Momabikes Raid), Vehicle: Porsche 959 Dakar, Winner
– 707: Jordi Segura/Enric Segura (Be Racing), Vehicle: Porsche Cayenne
– 712: Rafael Lesmes / Tabatha Romón (TH-Trucks), Vehicle: Toyota HDJ 80, Current Classic Trucks Champion
– 745: Raul Pascual / Marco Antonio Cabrera (Caninos Al Dakar), Vehicle: KZJ95, Debut
– 769: Luis Antonio Pires / Mateu Riera Abellan (LJS Racing Team), vehicle: Mitsubishi Pajero, debut
– 770: Raul Ortiz Correa / Raul Ortiz Navas (Pedrega Team), Vehicle: Toyota Rav4, Debut
– 776: Josep Sole / Sergio Cerezo (TH-Trucks), vehicle: Mitsubishi Montero, debut
– 777: Lorenzo Fluxà / Sergi Fernández, (LJS Racing Team), Vehicle: Toyota KZJ 90
Classic track:
– 900: Albert Casabona, Mechanic of Nuno Miguel Bismarck’s Classic Trucks (POR), (TH-Trucks), Vehicle: Mercedes 2636 A
– 913: Jaime ‘Paris’ Martinez, Nekane Abin, Iker Echevarria (R Team), Vehicle: Mercedes 1936
– 920: Jose Manuel Salinero / Javier Benito (Guardia Civil Rally Raid), car: Mercedes 2644, Salinero competed in 11 editions with the car, the last in 2022
mission 1000 new energy truck
– 1004: Miguel Puertas (Arctic Leopard Galicia Team), Vehicle: Arctic Leopard EXE 880 Rally
– 1005: Esther Merino (Arctic Leopard Galicia Team), Vehicle: Arctic Leopard EXE 880 Rally
– 1006: Francisco Jose Paras (Arctic Leopard Galicia Team), vehicle: Arctic Leopard EXE 880 Rally
– 1040: Jordi Giubanteny / Jose Luis Criado / Xavier Rivas, (KH7-ECOVERGY), Vehicle: MAN TGA
Sainz, Roma etc.
Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz They will try to make more history. In 2024, they became the first to win the Dakar in an electric car (Audi), setting a longevity record for champion Carlos at 61 years old, and both achieving it with four different brands, an unprecedented feat. now carlos I want to get my 5th win at 63 and raise my level.touareg‘With the fifth different brand and renewed Ford Nani Roma and his co-pilot, alex haloThey also admire everything. Nani has played a key role in the development of this car from the beginning. Raptor T1+ EVO more competitive Forgerol He will be aiming for his third title (after four-wheeled and two-wheeled) in his 29th Dakar.
As a member of Dacia’s “Dream Team”, Cristina Gutierrez wants to shine as part of the best team, aiming for a final top five and stage victory. meanwhile, Laia Sanz debuts as EBRO’s official pilot Top class car (4×4 T1+) and Isidor Esteve is committed to a better Toyota Hiluxthe same one that made Moraes world champion a few months ago. Jesus Calleja Cross the dunes as a pilot Santana and Nandu Jubanywhich won a podium in the two-wheel drive 4×2 category) will debut in 2025 and will aim for a class victory.
co-pilot Armand MonleonCurrent world champion Toby Price will be accompanying Toyota on its debut as an official driver. Oriol Mena could shine as Botterill’s co-driver, while Oriol Vidal will aim to win in the new stock category.
Jacopini’s co-driver, Dani Oliveras, was the best Spaniard in motoring, finishing seventh last year, and was hoping to improve further, but his driver suffered a serious accident just before the start of the Dakar, meaning Jacopini will not be on the starting line.
Challenger and SSV
Challenger (lightweight prototype) Pau Navarro aims for his first title in 2025 with a podium finish alongside his talented co-driver Jan Rosait comes from an overwhelming classic. In this category, non-flammable materials are joan font repeat with teamwork Oscar Lal create your own set, vertical motorsporthe hopes to join the ranks of the best and defend his current champion crown. Cabigliaso and Pertegarinihis friends.
In SSV (series derived light vehicle), Gerard Fares he is always among the best players pedrega team Despite facing public authorities with more resources and updated vehicles. The current champion of this class is Dakar Classic, Carlos SantaolallaDomingo Roman, Joan Piferer and Jose Maria Cami They will face the desert. among them dakar classicAfter the title of Santa Olala 2023 Champion in 2024 and 2025, Joan Morella and Lydia Lubaa class in which 11 crew members, together with a Spanish pilot or “copis”, aim to retrieve the scepter in a Porsche 959.
three big men on bikes
Tosha Chalayna from Valencia is a great talent in the Spanish motorcycle world, having crashed several times in the last Dakar but aiming for victory and coming in second place. It will also be uploaded edgar canet After achieving an amazing result of 8th place and victory in his debut race at the age of 19, he started working with KTM. rally 2. Your ceiling is unpredictable. lorenzo santorino He will continue to defend Sherco’s honor as he aims for a top-five finish, albeit hampered by a toe injury.
Of the purest kind, motul originalwithout assistance, Javi Vega and Josep Pedro They are vying for victory in the categories in which they also participate. Rashid Arral Rahadir, fernando Dominguez and debutante Borja Perez. in rally 2highlighting the premiere of Young Gem Arnau Jedalso with debutants Torres, Lastra, Zardoya, Lopez, Guillen.
Looking to the future
in Mission 1,000a class created for prototyping using renewable energy, KH-7 Ecovergy by Jordi Juvanteny, Jose Luís Criado, Xavier RibaIt will be the first hydrogen-electric hybrid truck in history. Francisco Gomez Paras, Esther Merino, Miguel Puertas They are uniting to promote electric bikes with the future goal of this type of vehicle competing with combustion bikes within a few years.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
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