Leon Mostert

Navigating the pressures of rallying with Leon Mostert

Leon (the other half of the Mostert racing duo) has been his brother Werner’s navigator since 2019. Together, they’re competing in Class G in a Can-Am Maverick.

Things weren’t always this way for Leon, however. The supporter-turned-navigator used to watch from the sidelines, until Werner invited him to join in on the action. Since joining Werner, Leon’s been giving it his all. (Quite a far cry from someone who had posters of Springbok centres up on his wall while growing up.)

The job of navigator suits Leon, who, by his own admission, likes the strict rules, structure, and responsibility the job entails. It’s all about ensuring the safety of the driver and the car. Although, with the 2 brothers racing together, we can imagine that there can be some interesting dinner conversations.

He loves to celebrate after a race if the results are great, but doesn’t really unwind that much. It’s about packing up, going, and then still having the adrenaline pumping the following day.

In navigation, Leon has discovered a passion he never realised he had, and he wants to do this as long as humanly possible. As is the case with his brother, he’d love to be able to compete in the Dakar and become a recognisable navigator on the world stage.

Leon says the excitement after qualifying, waiting for the results to determine the starting position, and then chasing the competitors ahead of them are all things that make this such a brilliant sport. But it hasn’t always been smooth driving for him. He remembers the 1 race in the Kalahari where it was difficult to navigate… He made a wrong call and the pair wound up stuck in a ditch with just the rear wheels sticking out.

But he took that as an invaluable learning experience. In the same year, he got the title of the top navigator in their class on national level. Perhaps the dunes of the Dakar will loom for Leon sooner than he thinks.