When the thrill of competition is at its peak.
When a crash in 2023 almost left him with his foot amputated, and out of contention for top positions in motorcycle racing, Matthias Walkner thought about everything except competition. Now, the 2018 Dakar champion is preparing his return to the dunes… on four wheels. The Austrian driver began a new chapter of his career at the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, in the SSV category.
The Red Bull athlete went back to square one for a challenge that – if everything goes well – could see him follow the path of Stéphane Peterhansel or Joan Roma, achieving Dakar success on both two and four wheels:
“After my injury I was no longer able to compete for the top positions, but that is not enough for what I want. Now I have a new mission, from two wheels to four, which we call Mission 224.”
However, not everything is easy, and the difficulty of starting with a rather used [Can-Am Maverick X3] is noticeable:
“It is a big challenge dealing with all the mechanical problems because our car is already three years old. I still prefer two wheels, but the car is a completely different sport. I really enjoy driving, especially on this type of track, but we have had many problems, which makes everything more exhausting.”
Used to navigating alone, Walkner highlights the difficulty of sharing the car with a co-driver:
“It is difficult to adjust to driving with a co-driver. I keep getting faster and the notes come very quickly. Sometimes [Oliver Pyerin] misses the timing and on slippery stages speed is very important. We both need to learn: he needs to improve calling the notes and I need to better understand what he means, because until now I did everything alone”, he said.
Never giving up, friendly and naturally optimistic, Walkner already has a plan for the near future:
“The goal is to reach the Ultimate category, but I am just starting and I need to evaluate my performance and see if I enjoy the competition. I will probably race in Argentina and then the Dakar, but I still don’t know in which category. The goal is to move up to the top class,” concluded the Austrian enthusiastically, after already tasting victory on two wheels and hoping to repeat the achievement on four wheels.