Peugeot PH distributor Astara joining 2023 Dakar Rally

If the name Astara rings a bell, it is the Spanish company that distributes Peugeot vehicles in the Philippines.

The company announced in a November 2022 press statement that it will compete in the grueling 2023 Dakar Rally using three ASTARA 01 Concept sport-utility vehicles.

Like in the previous Dakar Rally, the 01 Concept will run on sustainable e-fuel, but the mixture has been increased from 70 percent to 90 percent. Astara also aims to compete with the smallest carbon footprint possible, aiming again to become the most sustainable vehicle and team in the race.  

Piloting the race-prepped machines are the duos of racing veterans Laia Sanz-Maurizio Gerini, Carlos Checa-Marc Solà, and Óscar Fuertes-Diego Vallejo.

“This is the second year of a very ambitious, long-term project to put Astara's values into practice in the world's most demanding competition,” the company said.

“The goal of Astara is to ‘Enable People, Go Further,’ bringing the most efficient and intelligent technology and solutions – such as the e-fuel – to offer the most environmentally friendly mobility solutions for all needs,” Astara added.

The team continues under the technical responsibility of SMC Motorsport, with Gonzalo de Andrés as the main team leader. The ASTARAs will be joined by eight support vehicles and a team of more than 30 people.

Astara said the Dakar 2023 will be held for the fourth consecutive year in Saudi Arabia.

It will start on Dec. 31, 2022, on the Red Sea coast near Yanbu al-Bahr and finish on Jan. 15, 2023, in Ar-Dammam, on the shores of the Persian Gulf. 

The route crosses the country from west to east and returns to the Empty Quarter, Rub al-Khali, the largest continuous sand desert in the world.

Astara is a mobility company that distributes 30 car brands in 17 countries worldwide and handles various aspects of vehicle ownership, subscription, use, and connectivity.

The firm took over the Peugeot brand in the Philippines on January 2022. And is rumored to take over another brand in the country by January 2023.

Do you think the use of e-fuels in motorsports is a sustainable solution?