“I never give up”

Pablo Copetti has been chasing Dakar glory for over a decade now, and came agonisingly close to fulfilling his dream of winning the rally last year. The Argentina-born American led the quads for several stages in the first week, and was breathing down Alexandre Giroud's neck when the unthinkable happened on Stage 10: a broken engine, and game over. Frenchman Giroud went on to celebrate his first Dakar title, while Pablo was left to ponder what might have been after one of his most accomplished performances to date. The 47-year-old has been taking part in the Dakar since 2010 -the second edition on South American soil- claiming a promising fifth place in 2011 before podium finishes in 2017 and 2021. He only began competing in quad cross at the age of 31, after moving from his hometown of Cordoba to Patagonia. He has since settled in the USA, and even if he misses Argentina he is proud to be flying the star-spangled banner on the Dakar. Pablo is a fierce competitor but always fair play, and ready to celebrate his rivals’ achievements as well as his own. This is already an 11th outing for the Dakar Legend, but until he secures that top spot on the podium, he is likely to have unfinished business with the world's toughest rally.

“I was doing a great Dakar last year. I was leading the race in the first week, and then fighting for the win from second place. The stage where I suffered engine failure was one of the saddest days for me. But I know that this can happen. Since I was fifth at Dakar 2011, I've come back every year for the win. I was third in 2017 and 2021. It’s not easy but I NEVER GIVE UP! My only goal and dream is to win the Dakar. I think 2023 could be one of the most difficult editions. Quads suffer a lot in Saudi Arabia, last year only seven of them finished. So I think it will be a strategic race. I decided not to race after the Dakar this year. I trained a lot and focused on improving my programme for 2023; we are planning to take part in the World Rally-Raid Championship. This year Motul has given us more support for the Dakar, joining forces with Del Amo Motorsports. We've created a great team! I've also received more support from sponsors who want the win like I do. The quad is almost the same as in 2022, with small changes. It’s a privilege and an honour to be a Dakar Legend, because at some point we are like ambassadors for the rally. It's the one that everybody wants to race, the most dangerous and difficult in the world!”