As he gears up for his maiden Dakar Rally, Lukas Lauda will do so sporting an iconic look. His #347 Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo will be painted with a red-and-white pattern modelled after the Marlboro-sponsored McLaren MP4/2 that his father Niki Lauda raced to the 1984 Formula One World Championship; his helmet also boasts the same design including the Marlboro logo, though with the text changed to his team South Racing Can-Am.
McLaren’s MP4/2 dominated the 1984 season as Niki Lauda and Alain Prost combined to win twelve races, securing them the constructor’s title by a whopping eighty-six points. Although he had five wins to his team-mate’s seven, Lauda edged out Prost in the closest driver’s championship battle to date by just half a point. The title was Prost’s third and the last of his decorated F1 career.
While Niki is a racing legend and younger brother Mathias Lauda eventually pursued his own driving career that led to an FIA World Endurance Championship in 2017, Lukas instead became a sports manager and served as Mathias’ agent. In 2022, Lukas decided to try his hand at cross-country rally by competing in the Hellas Rally Raid in Greece with the help of Dakar bike veteran Heinz Kinigadner.
He further built up his racing portfolio in 2023 by winning the SSV class at the Tuareg Rallye in Morocco. In October, he entered the World Rally-Raid Championship’s Rallye du Maroc, which is often used as a final dress rehearsal for those racing at Dakar, with South Racing.
Lauda achieved his primary goal of reaching the finish as he placed thirteenth overall in the T3 (now Challenger) category.
With a fairly young but solid résumé in the discipline, he now heads to Dakar, once again racing in the Challenger class. Stefan Henken, who was introduced to Lauda via Kinigadner, will continue as his navigator.
“We are really a good team together. He taught me everything and I’m still learning,” said Lauda. “Dakar was always for me the biggest race and the adventure. I watched it since I’m a kid and it fascinates me. My goal is to learn a lot and try to be the best rookie maybe.”
The 2024 Dakar Rally begins Friday with the Prologue stage.
