The Lanzarote natives participated with the number 176 in a Fiat Panda 4 x 4 that has worked very well, without hardly having problems with the vehicle. The team formed by Luis E. Ferrer Hernández and Pedro Padrón Cadres surpassed themselves day by day, stage after stage and, although the navigation failures of the first days were a pity, they managed to overcome them and improve, reaching to conclude the 4th stage in 3rd place and the 5th stage in 7th place, finishing the race in 41st place in the category and 58th overall and with very good sensations.
Luis E. Ferrer Hernández and Pedro Padrón Cadres crossed the finish line of the Panda Raid in Marrakesh, after having crowned the Col du Tichka and crossed the knot of curves of the Atlas, where the drivers needed the expertise in their driving through the winding curves on its roads.
The finish line meant the end of the stage and the Panda Raid 2023, with a tired face, but with joy and satisfaction for having successfully completed the test, although at the same time with regret for the end of the adventure of a long-distance and endurance amateur rally that is held annually where more than 340 teams decided to defy the supreme law of common sense and embark on an adventure aboard a Panda that took place in Morocco in seven stages with a new route that led them to cross the country from north to south and from east to west, from the Port of Nador to the Imperial city of Marrackech, with the emotion of crossing the Panda Raid finish arch for the last time, with the feeling of having fulfilled a challenge of having overcome all the tests and of recovering from personal and mechanical adversity.
The sand has once again been the absolute protagonist, present in wadis, also known as dry rivers, in track areas and in small dunes scattered in some sections of the route. The medium stones, in the form of a trialera, have also put the mechanics of the cars that accumulate a lot of wear and tear in trouble.
"We are very excited to finish successfully and we are very surprised with the times we have achieved in a test full of demanding stages, with a lot of sand, companionship and a feeling of satisfaction for being able to finish, we experienced firsthand the hospitality of the Moroccan people, the children when they saw us driving, the celebrations that we enjoyed at night in the jaimas, the laughter with other participants, in general living the Panda Raid is living a unique experience that puts you to the test", said Pedro Padrón after reaching the finish line of the test that, like Luis Ferrer, "feels like repeating".
"See you next year at Panda Raid 2024", the conejeros have predicted.
