Isidore Esteve and the chance of a lifetime: “There is no doubt, this is the best car I have ever competed in the Dakar. We have to be closer to the top 10 than 20th place.”

If someone makes a list of the coats of arms of Spain, dakar impossible to ignore Isidore Esteve (La Seu d’Urgel, 1972). This year, the Ilerda native will make his 21st appearance in the world’s toughest rally. We all know about the accident that changed his life and left him in a wheelchair. Still, his passion for the Dakar only grows each year. And in 2025, he will have an opportunity unlike anything he’s had since making the leap to four wheels. and Toyota Hilux T1+, He has the best weapon ever.

Because of this, everyone wanted to talk to Isidore at the team presentation. Repsol Toyota Rally Team It happened in Madrid. No one wanted to miss the details of the new adventure he was facing. And Sportish had the opportunity to speak with the native of Ilerda. Despite appearing on TV, influencers, and dozens of media outlets, he never stopped smiling. “This is an important part. We need to give it the relevance it deserves,” he told us before starting. The talk began without any further introduction.

What are your thoughts on this Dakar 2026?

For us, we think this is a special, important and different edition. First of all, to be here today with Repsol and Toyota at the team’s official presentation and to be with Seth Quintero, Toby Price, who knows a lot about bikes, and Henk Rateg, it’s an honor to be able to share it with them.

And for us, this year is a very special year. There is a very important part. That’s the new car behind us, this new Toyota Hilux V6 Biturbo car provided by the official team. The car is incredible. We believe that for the first time in the car world we will have a car that will allow us to fight for what matters in our sports career, this Dakar 2026.

“I had the flu last year, but it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Dr. Isidore Esteve

Last year was a very complicated year, I got the flu in the first week and it really affected me. I remember him explaining it to us when he came back, and it was very difficult. But is that a thorn in the side, or a lesson learned this year?

No, no, there are no thorns. Yes, it’s a learning experience. I think we should be more careful at first, but many times we don’t choose that. But last year yes, the first few days were very bad. I’m feeling good at the moment, my training is going well, I’m ready, so obviously I’m going to take care of myself and try to be competitive from day one.

Perhaps you say you have the best car you’ve owned since switching from motorcycles to cars. Is your goal the top 20 you predicted last year, or do you have something in mind?

No, that’s true, maybe not, that’s true. We have the best car I’ve ever driven. We have to be closer to 10th place, not 20th place. I think we have a very competitive car, but it is true that we have more than 20 drivers in the official team, and 10 of them are only aiming to win, and all the others want to be in the top 10. Toby Price said it would be good to finish in the top 10.

Naturally, I don’t think we belong to the first tier competing in the Dakar, but we do belong to the second tier, 10th to 20th or 10th to 25th. We have to get there and at the end of the race we should hopefully be closer to 10th instead of 20th. This is what we have to do.

What is special about this car that previous cars don’t have?

This is the car that just won the Constructors’ World Championship and the Drivers’ World Championship driven by Lucas Moraes. It is a car adapted to the new regulations, a V6 biturbo engine that gives an incredible feeling of power, it is a car adapted to the new regulations with all the latest electronics used in the Toyota Gazoo

We certainly didn’t have much time to test it, but when we asked Toyota for more time, they said, “Isidore, what problems could we have with this car?” Works 10x better than the car you had. ” I said, “Okay, I can’t do anything either.” You’ll be with us in Arabia for another day and a half trying out the car and I’m sure you’ll be ready for the Dakar.

On a personal level, we had a great rally in Morocco…

I experienced the Portugal Rally and then the Morocco Rally, and I think it was a good preparation to get a feel for the racing atmosphere.Although I didn’t have a car there, I was able to adapt quickly. In three hours we drove on and on. We probably need a little more, but I hope we can be competitive from day one.

Hats off to the entire T1+ category grid. There will be a lot of people. We will see where we are, but we are confident.

This is your 21st Dakar in your career. You’ve already had a lot of experience, so what is it about this rally that excites you so much?

Yes, Dakar is part of my life. Racing is a part of my life and the Dakar is a challenge above all, so it’s a very special race. Not only for us, but also for brands and companies in development. Well, here we are, feeling good. It’s an honor to be here.

“People might think it would be easier if we didn’t go to the open space, but that’s not the case. We lost two days going to the open space. The route is balanced.”

Dr. Isidore Esteve

Let’s talk about the canonical route. There are two marathon stages, one for each week. What do you think?

At first, when they said, “We’re not going to open spaces,” a lot of people probably thought, “Oh, Dakar isn’t going to open spaces.” Will it be easier? ” No, I lost two days of racing to go to an open quarter. I think it’s going to be a long Dakar. Balanced. The stages of the marathon are one in the first week and one in the second week. There are many more kilometers to come, and some very difficult ones.

Perhaps removal is more important than speed?

No, because there are 25 drivers who want to be there, 10 of them want to win and the rest all want to be in the top 10, so the Dakar is going to be very competitive from day one. There will be a lot of running from day one. That means a long Dakar, a lot of competition, and many kilometers. Well, I’m sure it’ll be a good Dakar.

Finally, you will share the cabin with Txema Villalobos again. How do you earn that complete trust after so many years? You guys are practically brothers…

You see, in the case of Txema…I’m not thinking about hiring another co-pilot. It’s incredible to work with him. I trust him very much. It gives me peace of mind during races. Communication with him is very good. we are very friends. I think pilots and co-pilots have to coexist well. Therefore, there is complete silence.

Mr. Isidore, thank you for your service to us and best of luck in Arabia

because of you