“I'll be racing with the best guys, just in a different category”
CREW FACTS
V.Z.
- After nine Dakar appearances in the top car class, Vaidotas Zala will be making his debut in the trucks at Dakar 2025, driving an Iveco Powerstar for the prestigious Team De Rooy.
- The Lithuanian has been passionate about motorsport since childhood, and took up rallying in his early 20s. He was Lithuanian Rally Champion in 2019 and 2020 and still competes on the national circuit.
- He has had mixed fortunes since making his Dakar debut in 2016, retiring from the rally on four occasions but coming as high as 11th overall in 2022.
- Vaidotas made headlines at Dakar 2020 by winning the very first full-length stage in Saudi Arabia, outpacing rally-raid legends like Stephane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz and Nasser Al Attiyah.
- He has competed in a host of different vehicles: Seat (2016-17), Toyota Hilux (2018-19), X-raid Mini (2020-22, 2024) and Prodrive Hunter (2023), although he has often been undone by mechanical issues.
- His Iveco Powerstar for Dakar 2025 has a new chassis and an optimised cooling system, while its weight has been reduced to nine tonnes.
P.F.
- Paulo Fiuza is one of the most experienced co-drivers on the Dakar, having made his debut in the cars with Francisco Inocencio back in 2007.
- While this will be his competitive debut in the trucks, he has done two editions of the Dakar in an assistance truck.
- The 49-year-old was also drawn to motorsport as a child, with the WRC rounds in Portugal taking place close to his home. He started out in traditional rally before moving into cross-country.
- Paulo won his national offroad championship in 2003 and has claimed victories at prestigious rally-raid events like the Rallye du Maroc and Desafio Ruta 40 (with Orlando Terranova).
- In October 2024, he won Baja Portalegre 500 alongside Miguel Barbosa in a Taurus T3 Max.
- In 15 Dakar appearances, he has guided four different drivers to a Top 10 finish (Ricardo Leal dos Santos, Orly Terranova, Carlos Sousa and Stephane Peterhansel).
- The highlight of his rally-raid career was acting as a co-driver for Peterhansel, the sport's most decorated athlete. They came third together in 2020, the year before Paulo linked up with Vaidotas.
M-V.G.
- Crew mechanic Max van Grol says that motorsport is "a little bit of a family thing", and that he used to go and watch different competitions growing up in the Netherlands.
- It was his decision to pursue a career in the sport by becoming a mechanic for the De Rooy team. In his own words, he has been able "to make his hobby his job".
- At 24 years of age, Max is preparing to make his competitive debut in rally-raid. This is not just his first Dakar, but also his first rally.
2025 AMBITIONS
V.Z.: “This is going to be my 10th Dakar and the first one in a truck, so a big change for sure. The last couple of years were quite challenging. We were in really fast cars but managing a lot of technical issues. I've had enough of standing on the side of the tracks! At one point we were stopped and I saw one of the big trucks passing by, and I thought, that seems like something that doesn't break so easily! And it looks like fun. I've actually had a truck driving licence since 2011. Back when I had my own team, I used to drive our big service truck to Marseille to drop the car off before the Dakar. I really enjoy it and I thought, maybe this is something I can do in the racetrack as well. So it's not as spontaneous as it looks. I've been in a romantic relationship with heavy machinery for a while now. I did a small test with De Rooy last year, I liked the truck and the team. I contacted them again this year and they had one remaining truck available for Dakar 2025, so we struck a deal rather quickly. The first few kilometres there were a bit stressful, especially in the dunes. In a car you can follow the cap quite easily and go more or less straight. But in a truck it's not as easy. Initially I was really nervous about getting stuck, because the truck flips really easily. But after two days we got used to it, and now I can manage more or less. I didn't make the change to become a tourist at the Dakar. It's also harder and harder to buy a seat in T1+, especially if you're not from a top rally-raid nation. So switching to another class made sense. I'll be at the Dakar, racing with the best guys, just in a different category. And we certainly want to fight for a good result. The sporting target is to go for the maximum. It's really exciting that Paulo has accepted the challenge. I wasn't sure he would be keen, but he gave me a positive response within 15 seconds of me asking the question! It's really encouraging and reassures me that we're going in the right direction.”
P.F.: “For me this is a new challenge, competing in a different category, and I'm very optimistic. I previously did two editions of the Dakar in the assistance trucks. I think that in terms of navigation, it's practically the same whether you're in a car or a truck. My goal for Dakar 2025 is to win this category! Otherwise, I would like to finish in the best possible position.”
M-V.G.: “I have always been a big fan of the Dakar and Team De Rooy. I knew another driver from autocross who'd been working at De Rooy for a while. One day they were looking for a new mechanic and that's how I got involved. Participating in the Dakar has been a big dream of mine. As a child, I used to sit in front of the TV every night to watch every single episode of the Dakar. And I've done my utmost to prepare for Dakar 2025. In technical terms I know the whole truck, we went testing together in Morocco with Vaidotas and Paulo. And physically I've been training a lot. It's hard to say what we can achieve. Vaidotas is a very good driver and Paulo is a very good navigator. They've been competing together for several years and they've shown they are very fast. I know the whole truck, and this De Rooy truck is one of the best in the field. So I think we have a very good chance of finishing on the podium. But it remains Dakar and you never know.”
