French motorsport has lost one of its most important ambassadors. Hubert Auriol died this Sunday, at the age of 68, following a cardiovascular accident. The legend of the Dakar, crowned three times in the legendary event and the first driver to win in both categories – on a motorcycle in 1981 and 1983, in a car in 1992 -, deeply marked his friend and rival Cyril Neveu, with whom he in particular fought an anthology during the 1987 edition. Other personalities of motor sport wished to honor on social networks the memory of the one who was nicknamed “the African”.
Sébastien Loeb, nine times world champion in WRC rallies and taking part in the 2021 edition of the Dakar, hailed a “Dakar legend” in a message posted on Twitter, a term used by Jean Todt, president of the International Federation of automotive (FIA). Roxana Maracineanu, Minister Delegate in charge of Sports, paid tribute to “an exceptional driver, an adventurer, a great champion and a charismatic race director”, who became the Dakar boss for nine years between 1995 and 2004.
A minute of applause was also respected this Sunday in the middle of the afternoon by the paddock of the Dakar 2021, which learned with emotion of the death of the former director of the event. Gathered between the 7th and 8th stages in Sakaka, in the north of the country, to drop off their vehicles in the closed park which also serves as a garage, those who knew Hubert Auriol took the time to evoke his memory.
David Castera, current boss of the race, evokes “a man who showed him the way and inspired him”, in comments reported by AFP. He had come to see the new formula put in place by the Béarnais, a former biker like him, in Saudi Arabia in 2020.
“A model of class and intelligence”
“If I am here, on this rally, it is thanks to what I saw, to what Hubert was doing in the great era with Cyril Neveu”, says Stéphane Peterhansel, thirteen times winner of the Dakar (six times on a motorcycle , seven by car). “For me, he has always been a model of class and intelligence. We remember that he had this journey on a motorcycle, then that he stopped the two-wheeler, on this injury, the fractures of both ankles, to go by car and finally win ”, adds the one that the we nickname “Monsieur Dakar” because of his track record.
“He was a great man, always smiling, even in the toughest moments. He kept his morale up, he was strong, it’s really sad for the rally-raid world, it’s sad for the Dakar. I am of course thinking of those close to him, ”continues one of the rare drivers with Nani Roma to have won in both categories with Auriol.
