Out of the nearly 70 mototaxi drivers that raced, among them two brave women, only three can call themselves kings of Lima’s roads, after becoming the champions of Red Bull Lleva Lleva. The race took place on the roof of C.C Lima Plaza Norte in Independencia (Lima, Peru) and included the professional rally pilot Nicolas Fuchs as a judge. The drivers tried everything to be the fastest around the circuit (which included a ramp that made mototaxis soar the airs) and take home part of the 11000 Nuevos Soles prize purse (USD 4,000) handed out in the three different racing categories.
Becoming a Red Bull Lleva Lleva champion was not an easy feat. Mototaxi drivers from all over Lima took part in the first rally of its kind in the world. The drivers had to survive five elimination rounds in a 1km. circuit that included several twists, turns, and in which control of this unstable three wheel vehicle was the key, before getting to the final. DJ Carloncho kept the four thousand people in attendance at Lima Plaza Norte in a good mood while the drivers made sparks fly.

At the beginning I was very nervous, even scared, but as I kept advancing through the rounds I started to feel more confident”, says Luis Alberto Tunque, one of the three champions. “There should be races like this all the time, the event has been amazing. Racing is very different from driving passengers around. You have a lot of fun in races like this”, stated the driver.

About the Peruvian Mototaxi

This vehicle is built from a motorbike front part with a plastic or metal cover and a back seat and it is used in Peru for the back streets of several cities, especially dirt tracks. With over 250,000 mototaxis spread all over the country, this is one of the most common way of transport for the locals, and the drivers always try to keep their vehicles in tune to call the passengers attention.