“It's always hard to be the favourite”
CREW FACTS
M.M.
- Martin Macik will be taking part in his 13th Dakar in 2025. He is once again joined by Frantisek Tomasek (his navigator since 2016) and David Svanda (his mechanic since 2020).
- The 35-year-old entrepreneur claimed his first overall victory in the trucks at Dakar 2024, becoming the first driver from the Czech Republic to win the class since the legendary Karel Loprais in 2001.
- Martin has followed in the footsteps of his father Martin Macik Senior, who first did the Dakar in 2003 and came as high as fourth in 2010. Together they founded the MM Technology team and began to build their own trucks at a workshop in Sedlcany.
- Martin made his Dakar debut in 2013 as a navigator for Vlastimil Vildman, then switched to the driver's seat from 2015 onwards.
- In the era of Kamaz-Master domination, his best result was fourth in 2021. In the absence of the Russians, he has now come second and first overall, winning a total of eight stages.
- As well as conquering the Dakar in 2024, Martin and his crew also won Baja Aragon and the Rallye du Maroc. In Morocco they were testing their new EVO 4 truck, nicknamed 'Benny the Big Guy', and won every single stage.
- MM Technology have prepared and will service no fewer than six trucks at Dakar 2025. Martin and one of his main overall rivals Mitchel van den Brink will both be driving an EVO 4, as will Kees Koolen, while Claudio Bellina and Richard de Groot will be in the EVO 3, and Mitchel's father Martin van den Brink will get behind the wheel of an EVO 2.
- Martin's business portfolio also includes the MM Production Agency, which offers media, marketing and photography services.
F.T.
- Frantisek 'Frank' Tomasek has only ever raced with Martin Macik. They have known each other for a long time, because Martin's father built his first race truck in Frantisek's town.
- Frank and Martin used to ride offroad bikes together, then joked about racing together in a truck before making it a reality from 2016 onwards.
- The 42-year-old has previously said that he and Martin have "the same values and the same sense of humour" and that they can rely on each other. "I'm always there for him if he needs good advice, inside or outside the truck."
- He added that mechanic David Svanda has "slotted in just perfectly" since Dakar 2020. The trio are preparing for their sixth Dakar together.
D.S.
- David Svanda first got interested in motorsport at around the age of 16, when he used to volunteer as a track commissaire at local rallies.
- A trained electrical engineer, he began working at MM Technology in 2018. At Dakar 2019 he worked as a mechanic-electrician, before stepping up to race mechanic and head of electrical installation.
- He is now responsible for the development and production of all electrical components at MM Technology.
- David knows the importance of teamwork in a Dakar truck crew. "There are three of us and everyone is very important," he observed. "Without each other we cannot achieve the maximum result."
2025 AMBITIONS
M.M. : “Last year's victory was awesome. I was still processing it for a while after Dakar. I didn't realise it at the end of the rally, because the pressure is so high that you just feel relieved. But in the following days it was completely different, and we really enjoyed it. And especially throughout the year. It will be nice to come back as the defending champion, but not as the main contender for a second victory. It's always hard to be the favourite. I was always good coming as the underdog and fighting from there. Victory last year means we've needed to push even harder for Dakar 2025, because it's not easy to win the title for the second time in a row. I think it's even worse or harder to get than the first time. Everything we do is geared towards Dakar. That's why we’ve built a new truck, Evolution 4: a little bit of weight control, details in the software and the brackets and so on. We also have new tyres from Prometeon that we tested in Morocco. We wanted a more reliable truck, even though we had no issues at Dakar 2024 - that's also why we won it. But there's always room for improvement and I believe we've managed it. Morocco was perfect; we were in first place from start to finish. To be honest, I didn't expect to have no teething problems with the new Evolution 4. When it comes to the Dakar, 30% is about the truck. One third is the crew and one third is the team.”
F.T.: “Winning the Dakar is truly an indescribable honour. There’s a deep sense of gratitude and accomplishment, knowing that all the hard work, dedication and team effort paid off. Coming into Dakar 2025 as the defending champions brings a mix of responsibilities and pressure. There's an expectation to perform at the same high level, and it serves as a constant reminder to stay humble, work harder and remain focused. My hopes for Dakar 2025 are for a safe, competitive and fair race for everyone involved. Of course, we would love to defend our title, but more importantly, we aim to push our limits, demonstrate good sportsmanship and support each other throughout the race. The 48h Chrono is an interesting and challenging addition to the Dakar. It requires strategising and endurance from all participants. We loved it in 2024 and we're hoping it will remain as tough.”
D.S.: “At MM technology I work exclusively as an electrical engineer and I'm responsible for the development and production of all electrical components. Every year I try to use new technologies and simplify the system for easy operation and servicing. Because of my profession, I am now mainly customising the electronics software to make it as sophisticated and robust as possible in every situation, but also understandable for our customers' vehicles with identical versions. If we succeed like last year and I only have to get out of the truck to change tyres, that would be ideal! We got there in gradual, natural steps, and that's what's especially important about it. It wasn't just a coincidence. In our country, the Dakar fever is mainly in the truck category, where there's a really long and special history, and I am very happy that I can now be a part of it. They say that defending victory is much more difficult, but for me the Dakar itself is so demanding that these cliches don't apply. For me there is another important point - and that's to have the highest-placed trucks come from MM Technology production, and to shake hands with all of them at the finish line! I can't wait.”