“I'm hungry for more”

José Ignacio Cornejo is about to start his 7th Dakar after finishing 6th in the W2RC, in a season that wasn't satisfying for the Chilean rider, who has been with the official Honda team for several years. An error on the opening stage of the 2022 Dakar affected his first week of the rally. While he picked up two stage wins in the back half of the event, he lost time on the opening days of the rally. The Iquique native's 6th-place finish was not good enough for him. Ignacio's racing career took a turning point before the 2018 Dakar when he had decided to skip the race for financial reasons. A few days before the start in Lima, he received a call from the Honda Team to join the squad as a replacement for the injured Paulo Gonçalves. Until then, his only participation had been in the 2016 Dakar, where he dropped out on stage five. “Nacho” made the most of this exceptional opportunity, and in an impeccable performance, he finished 10th. In the 2019 Dakar, he worked hard to improve that position and achieved a commendable 8th place. Now established as an official Monster Energy Honda Team rider, the Chilean put in a sensational performance in 2020. He took two stage victories, including the final stage, holding off Ricky Brabec and fighting neck and neck with Matthias Walkner and Luciano Benavides. The 2021 edition was perhaps his most disappointing. “Nacho” was leading the general classification and was second in stage 10, one minute behind Ricky Brabec, when he crashed hard at km 252 of the stage. Although he completed the stage, he decided to retire from the rally in agreement with the medical staff. The Chilean, always self-critical, described the fall as “a rookie rider's mistake”. The recent victory of Adrien van Beveren in Andalusia and the Constructors' title for Honda are motivating factors for Ignacio, who is a member of the team alongside Frenchman Ricky Brabec and compatriot Pablo Quintanilla. Determined to beat his best result -P4 in 2020- Ignacio is targeting a podium result.

J.I.C.F.: “My 6th place in the W2RC is good. But I could have done better. It was a regular season, as several rallies didn't go how I wanted them to. In the last Dakar, I was always at the sharp end fighting for the podium and stage wins. I lost time on Day 1, and recovered a lot with two stage wins. But when I opened the stage, I made mistakes and lost what I had regained. The second week was solid, which is what determined the result. We overcame, and I had a good feeling. I know we can minimise those mistakes and be at the front again. I'm hungry for more.”
“There are indeed elite riders who have changed teams, but I've been with Honda for several years, and I'm glad they're showing confidence in me. I'm grateful that they give me this confidence. I hope I can continue. I know the CRF bike very well, and the team is constantly working to improve small details. Before the Dakar, in addition to my personal training, we have a test session planned with the team, but I can't reveal where it will be. My goal is to improve on last year's result (6th) and my best finish on the Dakar, which is 4th in 2020. Otherwise said, I'm aiming for the podium”.