“Dakar is a way of life for me”
En resumen
Tim:
- Tim Coronel discovered the Dakar 19 years ago, in 2007, alongside his girlfriend, and he has not missed a single edition since. The Dutchman has seen it all whether in Africa, South America or in Saudi Arabia. He even competed in the solo class (alone in an SSV) eight times, winning it on three occasions.
- Naturally his Dakar story is closely linked to that of his twin brother Tom. The duo enjoyed a first experience together in 2009. After going solo, they reunited in 2018 and have shared the cockpit - and even the steering wheel- of their cars ever since. The 2026 edition will mark their 10th Dakar together.
- Competing in a Century CR6, Tim achieved his best-ever Dakar result in 2024, finishing in 22nd position overall. In 2025, the Coronel Dakar Team switched to the Century CR7 4x4. Although an alternator issue affected their performance, it did not diminish their experience -the brothers embrace Dakar just as much in good moments as in the difficulties.
- Tim and Tom are not simply competitors. The owners of the Coronel Adventure Indoor park also act as reporters for RTL7, delivering behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive content to the Dutch audience. True to their Dakar spirit, they also help other competitors, offering assistance whenever possible.
Tom:
- Tom Coronel discovered the Dakar in the first year of the South American era, in 2009. An adventure that would remain forever in his mind alongside his brother Tim. Despite taking a long break due to his career on circuits (WTCC, WTCR, TCR), he returned in 2015 in the solo class.
- He got reunited with Tim in one same vehicle in 2018. They have shared both the cockpit and the steering wheel of their car for the last eight years and will do their 10th Dakar together in 2026. They’re also busy managing their Coronel Adventure Indoor park in Huizen where one can enjoy karting, climbing, mini golfing, bowling or laser gaming.
- When Tom isn’t in the desert, he’s in a studio or Formula One championship’s tracks as a commentator for Dutch TV. He also closely follows the promising career of his son Rocco, now a F4 driver supported by the Red Bull Junior program, with that dream of making it to the pinnacle of motorsports: Formula One.
- After achieving their best result with the CR6 in 2024 (22nd), the Dutch brothers now compete in the CR7 and benefits from a four-wheel drive car. Performance is improved, but that's not their primary focus. Tim and Tom are not simply competitors: they also act as reporters for RTL7, delivering behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive content to the Dutch audience. True to their Dakar spirit, they also help other competitors, offering assistance whenever possible.
Ambición
Tim.C.: “Last year was my first Dakar in a four-wheel drive car, and to be honest, now I understand why others prefer to drive in 4x4! It’s easier, and I immediately thought: ‘why didn’t I do this before?’ We had a lot of fun. It’s a pity we had an alternator failure before the last day, but we were among the last cars in the Empty Quarter, and the dunes were magnificent. I truly enjoyed that moment. This year is my 20 th Dakar, which makes it very special. It would be great to celebrate it by finishing around the top 20! That’s the problem with the Dakar: you do it once, then you can’t stop. For 2026 we received all the updates from Century and added our Coronel touch to the car. In fact, you’re never done developing. Dakar is a way of life for me, I’m busy all year with promotion and all the related work. It’s great to share this with my brother Tom. Good or bad moments, every day we send some contents to the Dutch TV. We’re there to bring that adventure to television audiences.”
Tom.C.: “The 2025 edition was our first experience with a four-wheel drive car, and it truly surprised us. Honestly, we should have made this switch ten years ago! The difference is huge. The feeling is completely different, you can attack the dunes more aggressively and take greater risks. It’s incredibly exciting. We updated the car with the latest upgrades from Century, and we also applied our Coronel mindset and philosophy to adapt certain elements. We’re not ready for a new adventure! The Dakar is not just a race for us; it’s a rally, a true survival experience. This will be my 13 th or 14 th Dakar, and the mindset has changed over the years. In the past, you could sleep in the desert and still arrive later; today, you’re simply out of competition. So now, you have to be prepared for this. Our main goal is to finish the Dakar, but we also always support the tops teams, acting as a kind of fast assistance. We are now known as the sub-top teams who always stop to help when the top teams get into trouble. We’re a bit like automobile club with roadside assistance! We will not win the race, we are adventurers, meanwhile the top drivers are fully focused on the race, taking far more risks than we do. And it’s also part of our philosophy.”
