“With no Kamaz, we must fight for the podium!”

Martin Van Den Brink faces his 15th Dakar looking to use all of his experience to put the De Rooy Iveco on the podium, having been second best of the non-Kamaz finishers last year. Mechanic Rijk Mouw is well known to Van Den Brink and, while co-driver Erik Kofman is new, he comes with the navigation pedigree of an air traffic controller. Martin’s son Mitchel is also competing for De Rooy, ensuring plenty of friendly family rivalry.

M.V.D.B.: “My inspiration for the Dakar came from when I was young and Jan De Rooy was driving. It took another 20 years before I finally got the chance to do it myself but since 2009 in South America, I’ve done it 14 times.
“You cannot win the Dakar on the first day. It’s a two-week race for which you need a lot of experience, which is why older drivers often do well I think. Last year I finished in sixth position so this year, with no Kamaz, we must fight for the podium!
“I’ve worked with our mechanic for seven years already. The navigator is new for me, but not for the Dakar, which he has also done on a motorbike. He also works as a flight controller so he has a lot of navigation experience! We’ve tested in Morocco, everything went well, so the feeling is good.
“My son [Mitchel] and I will both drive for team De Rooy again this year. It's always nice when you can do something together with your son and even better if it’s the Dakar!”