Yamaha: the WR450F Rally companion of Alessandro Botturi at the next Dakar

Yamaha – The appointment with the 2018 edition of the Dakar Rally which this year will start on January 6th and promises to be one of the most challenging with almost 9.000 kilometers to cover between Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.

Among the participants of the 40th edition there will also be the strong and expert Italian driver Alessandro Botturi su Yamaha WR450F Rally, supported by the Italian branch of Yamaha Motor Europe. The "Bottu", which presents itself this year with its new Team, all Italian, made up of highly experienced people, will be joined by the Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team where, for the last 3 years, he has raced as an official driver. The Yamaha Official Team, which will field the French for the 2018 edition Adrien van beveren e Xavier the Soul Trait, the Australian Rodney Faggotter and the Argentine new entry Frank Caimi, is ready to face what promises to be the toughest Dakar in recent years. Furthermore, riding Yamaha WR450F Rally in the new 'Ténéré 700 World Raid' livery, riders will honor the imminent return of one of the most successful Adventure models in the history of the three tuning forks.

Botturi is taking part in the 2018 Dakar for the sixth consecutive time, a significant story that began in 2012 with a brilliant eighth place overall and the conquest of the title of "Best Rookie". In the four subsequent editions, although unlucky due to some injuries and technical problems, the driver from Brescia has always shown off all his talent characterized by great physical strength and excellent navigation ability. In his rallying palmarès, the triumphs in the 2014 Sardinia Rally and the 2015 Merzouga Rally stand out. The list of his successes also includes, between 1998 and 2011, nine Italian Enduro Championships, three podiums in the Enduro World Championship and the presence in the Six Days for fifteen years in a row in the Italian national team.

Botturi can't wait to start the engine: “I am happy and eager to start this new adventure with my new Team supported by Yamaha Italia. Being in a semi-private team has allowed me to focus on myself in recent months without too much pressure. The meticulous training program to face the Dakar, in addition to the sessions in the gym and those on the bike, has led me to cover more than 3.000 km on my motorbike in the last period alone. Furthermore, this year I have already run several important rallies for a total of almost 15.000 km of track and navigation. The next edition of the Dakar will be very tough: we will start with the dunes of Peru, an area that I have known since my first experience in South America. My main objective will be to finish the competition trying to make as few mistakes as possible, aiming for a good final placing. I expect a technical and experienced edition, where Marc Coma's input will be clearly visible: without denying himself, he has in fact already promised a path that will make you dream and suffer at the same time. Navigation and team spirit are my strengths and I will rely on these qualities to achieve my goal".