"After the cancellation of the 2008 Lisbon-Dakar Rally and more importantly the reason, terrorist threats, it is almost impossible to imagine another Dakar on the African continent," Esteve told
Solo Moto.
Esteve, a former factory KTM rally rider who was paralysed last year while racing in Spain, added that - as far as he is concerned - there are now only two real options in terms of alternative locations.
"The first would be in South America and the second Paris-Moscow-Beijing," he said, although due to the climate the second option "would only be possible during the months of July and August."
"The South American option is possibly the most attractive one. It's summer in Chile and Argentina now so the race could continue to be held at the same time of year, when there are few other motorsport events. The doors would also be opened to new sponsors and to new interest from the manufacturers," he added.
A third option would "a Dakar by Tunisia, Egypt and Libya" but Esteve believes that would be too risky.
"It is too close to Algeria and so too much of a risk," he declared. "Al-Qaeda stopped this year's event by making threats and in future they would be able to do the same again. The cost of cancelling the event is too high to risk it being repeated in future."
"Africa and its people are the ones that will really lose out in all of this," Esteve reflected. "I doubt that the Mauritanian population, near where the 2008 Dakar should have passed, will understand why it won't happen this year. Mauritania is a forgotten country and the door has now closed even more.
"The teams will have the opportunity to do another Dakar, but the people of Africa will not," he reflected, upon recalling the "numerous humane initiatives" provided by the competition.
"The most important thing now is to seek a fast solution to this cancellation, so that the teams and competitors can start planning for next year," Esteve concluded.
