“Obviously, I want to think big…”

At 27 years old, Rebecca Busi is ready to become a key figure of the Dakar. Her first venture in the Dakar Classic, in 2022, was an uncertain bet, at the last minute, but it turned out to be a successful one, with a first finish. Last year, she took another step aboard a SSV alongside Giulia Maroni, but the Italian duo had to abandon the race on day 12. “We have a score to settle and another story to write”, Busi said as she bid farewell to the event that fills her dreams. She returns for Dakar 2024 with a co-pilot she admires as “a real Dakarian” - Sergio Lafuente, who first shined on his quad in South America and most recently accompanied Dania Akeel’s rise in the Saudi desert. The young Italian, who takes her followers behind the wheel on OnlyFans, and the Uruguayan veteran aim for the higher positions in the SSV standings.

R.B.: “Last year, let’s say I participated because I felt I had to. It’s the race everybody watches, the hardest, the most famous… But it was a first for me, for the team, for my co-pilot… That was too much.
Now, I’m no longer a rookie! I’m a professional athlete. With my sponsors, we worked for me to have. A bigger calendar this season. I signed with Lamborghini… Many things moved forward! I’m probably training twice as much as I did last year. I bought a Can Am to practice in Chile, where I stay until the Dakar. Obviously, I want to think big… My navigator says we can aim for a top-5. And if we keep our feet a bit more on the ground, let’s say a top-10 in the category would already be a great result.
We have a great relationship with Sergio. He helps me feel relaxed. That’s what I needed, a real “Dakarian” who gets you through the race.”


S. L.: “We went together in Morocco and we’ve been improving ever since. Rebecca came with a lot of impetus and I tried to help her settle down step by step. She picks things up very quickly. We had lots of punctures to begin with and then it went very well before she suffered a problem with the turbo. She’s very smart, she has a good pace and she just needs to manage herself over the full race.
We all want to go, compete and do the best that we can. That’s what I did with Dania [Akeel], I think it’s the same with Rebecca. She’s going for the Dakar and then the cross-country world championships next year. And then we’ll see.”