PALIK Laszlo HUN 13/01/1962 186 cm 90 kg

DARAZSI Gabor HUN 03/08/1972 175 cm 70 kg

Vehicle

MODEL	MAKE
NAVARA	NISSAN

RANKING

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Scratch	25	17	19	21	16	33	24	13	17	17	-	50	25	21
Stage	25	17	19	21	16	32	23	12	16	17	-	49	25	21	-	-
Overall	25	20	16	16	15	12	12	12	12	10	-	21	21	21	-	-

Laszlo Palik: “The Dakar is a way of life”

Don’t ask him for a forecast. Laszlo Palik compares the Dakar to the great unknown, able to bring you to the finish line or to stop you brutally at the bottom of a dune. A sort of temperamental goddess. “I can tell you that we have a new car, faster and that with Gabor, we are experienced. But I can’t tell you a lot more”. The Hungarian is nonetheless accustomed to previsions and anticipation models. A professional economist, his science of motorsports is impressive. Laszlo Palik is president and organiser of the Hungarian Grand Prix and the official F1 commentator in his country. Taking a closer look at his record on the Dakar, one can understand his point of view. In 6 appearances since 2002, he quit three times and managed three very good performances. A 50/50 that says it all on the difficulty of the rally that one can not tame. “The Dakar is more than a race”, he believes. “It’s a way of life. When you finish one, you already think about the next one. Each training session during the year is for the Dakar”. Laszlo’s only certainty is his crew. Gabor Daraszi, his co-driver and mechanic has been his friend for 10 years. “He’s even more than a friend”, he corrects. “And that’s very important”. In seven years of competition, the two friends have covered over 75 000 kilometres on asphalt and tracks. But Africa remains their favourite destination. “When I return from Africa, no one can annoy me”, says Laszlo. “I’m in perfect harmony”. A state of mind that has pushed him to help out “childcancer foundation” that fights against children’s cancer.

Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com

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