Team PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO ready to take on world’s toughest rally race, the Dakar

Wednesday 28th November 2018

Preparations for the 41^st Dakar Rally – one of the world’s most extreme races – are under way as the vehicles head to Perú by boat, after completing checks in Le Havre. With the two lead drivers, Gerard De Rooy and Federico Villagra, and the strongest PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO team ever, IVECO will aim to repeat the wins of last year’s Africa Eco Race and the 2012 and 2016 Dakar Rally.

Team PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO will tackle the extreme terrains of the race on board four IVECO Powerstars. For the ninth consecutive year, IVECO will be the official supplier of Team PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO and provide them with vehicles, engines and spare parts. Team Leader Gerard De Rooy will compete behind the wheel of the fixed-axle IVECO Powerstar that took him to victory in the Africa Eco Race 2018. His vehicle and the team’s other three Powerstars feature IVECO Cursor 13 engines with up to 1,000 hp, specially engineered by FPT Industrial – CNH Industrial’s powertrain brand.

For the 41^st race – and the 11^th in South America – Dakar 2019 will be entirely run on Peruvian soil, following a new loop with the start and finish in the capital, Lima. The rally’s competitors will tackle 10 tough stages covering 5,000 km. Around 70% of the competition will be run on sand, which will play a decisive role and present a particularly tough challenge for the drivers.

Pierre Lahutte, IVECO Brand President, commented: “We are looking forward to putting our vehicles to the test in the toughest rally race in the world, proving once again that the reputation for outstanding quality and reliability of IVECO off-road vehicles is well deserved. With Federico Villagra joining champion Gerard De Rooy for the first time in leading the four vehicle’s crews, this year we are competing with an exceptionally strong team: two first-class drivers who have consistently performed at the top of the category, and two very experienced drivers, Ton van Genugten and Maurik van den Heuvel, completing the team. I would like to express our appreciation for their determination, and our confidence in their ability to bring home more standout achievements in the forthcoming race.”

Gerard De Rooy, Dakar winner in 2012 and 2016, will aim for a repeat victory behind the wheel of an IVECO Powerstar Evo 3 – vehicle number 503 – with co-driver Moi Torrallardona. Mechanic Darek Rodewald will also be on board the Powerstar, providing technical support throughout the event.

Federico Villagra will aim for the podium behind the wheel of the second lead IVECO Powerstar Evo 3, vehicle number 505, with co-pilot Ricardo Torlaschi and mechanic Adrian Yacopini.

Anton van Genugten, winner of four stages and the most successful driver of the Dakar 2018, will be behind the wheel of the third Powerstar Evo 2 (509) with co-driver Bernardus Der Kinderen and mechanic Peter Willemsen.

Maurik van den Heuvel, a newcomer to Team PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO, who has consistently finished in the top 10 in previous races, will drive the fourth Powerstar Evo 2 (513) as fast assistance in the race with navigator Peter Kuijpers and mechanic Martijn van Rooij.

TEAM PETRONAS DE ROOY IVECO CO-SPONSOR

PETRONAS Lubricants International, for the eighth consecutive year will be the title sponsor and technical partner providing the lubricant developed in co-engineering with IVECO and recommended on its range of light and heavy duty vehicles, as well as all the functional fluids such as the transmission oil PETRONAS TUTELA and any other product to support the rally trucks during the competition. The full team will use PETRONAS Urania premium engine oil, formulated with the advanced additive technology, specifically designed for total engine protection and reliability, enhanced efficiency and performance.