N°605 Coche Skuba Team DE Rooy FPT

VAIDOTAS ZALA

(ltu) Nació el 28/08/1987 1.83m / 80kg

Sponsors

Skuba Group, Arijus, Škoda, Nordis, Žilinskis Group, Šiaulių bankas, Shell, Creditinfo Lietuva

2024: 53rd cars
2023: Ab. Stage 12 cars
2022: 11th cars
2021: Ab. Stage 2 cars
2020: 26th cars (1 stage win)
2019: 12th cars
2018: 18th cars
2017: Ab. Stage 5 cars
2016: Ab. Stage 11 cars

2024: Orlen Lietuva Rally (2nd) / Berner Rally Elektrenai (1st)
2023: Gravel Fest Rally Lazdijai (1st) / Baja Aragon (3rd) / Rally Rokiskis (1st) / Rally Elektrenai (1st)
2022: Rally Poland (41st) / Rally Liepaja (Ab.)
2021: Andalucia Rally (11th) / Rally Zemaitija (1st) / Orlen Lietuva Rally (1st) / Rally Elektrenai (1st)
2020: Lithuanian Rally Championship (1st) / Rally Zemaitija (1st) / Samsonas Rally Rokiskis (2nd) / Rally Elektrenai (1st) / Samsonas Rally Around 7 Lakes (2nd)
2019: Lithuanian Rally Championship (1st) / Rally Zemaitija (1st) / Rally Elektrenai (1st) / Samsonas Rally Rokiskis (1st) / Rally Classic (1st)
2018: Rally Classic (1st), Rally Elektrenai (2nd), Samsonas Rally Rokiskis (1st), Rally Zemaitija (1st)
2017: Samsonas Rally Rokiskis (4th), Rally Zemaitija (7th)
2016: 300 Lakes Rally (1st), Rally Zemaitija (3rd)
2015: Classic Rally Druskininkai (1st), DHL Rally Elektrenai (1st), 300 Lakes Rally (2nd)
2014: Classic Rally Druskininkai (1st), Ralis Kauno Ruduo (4th), Rally Zemaitija (4th)
2013: Classic Rally Druskininkai (5th), Rally Ozerniy Kray (1st), Halls Winter Rally (7th)

“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.”

Vehículo

Skuba Team DE Rooy FPT

IVECO POWERSTAR
TEAM DE ROOY

  • IVECO
  • POWERSTAR
  • Iveco
  • 1000Hp, 5000Nm
  • 9000 kg
  • Team De Rooy FPT
  • Team De Rooy FPT
  • T5.1: Prototype Cross-Country Trucks

Clasificación 2025

Toute l'actualité de V. Zala

Resumen - 17/01 17:29 [GMT +3]

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Ultimate : Al Rajhi, Al Rajhi, el elogio de la paciencia

 • Sólido en su regreso al Dakar tras haber faltado en 2024, Henk Lategan se puso en cabeza a mitad de carrera, añadió una especial a su palmarés y aguantó hasta la novena etapa, donde sufrió en su papel de abridor. Yazeed Al Rahji estuvo en el polvo del sudafricano...

Últimas noticias - 16/01 11:40 [GMT +3] - Coche

Zala golpea con fuerza

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...

Resumen - 12/01 17:48 [GMT +3]

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Resumen - 09/01 18:55 [GMT +3]

Quintero, ¡la segunda por un segundo!

EN EL PUNTO DE MIRA

Desde las alturas, puede constatarse que la especial del día sigue un trazado recto de oeste a este e incluye 428 km a caballo entre las provincias de AlUla y de Hail. Al hacer zoom, comprendemos también que el terreno ha sido hoy de lo más variado, con pistas arenosas y rápidas y también tramos pedregosos, incluso...

Últimas noticias - 07/01 14:19 [GMT +3] - Coche

Toma y daca entre Loprais y Zala

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Últimas noticias - 05/01 13:54 [GMT +3] - Coche

Žala pierde nueve minutos ante Loprais

Vaidotas Žala ha perdido el control de la especial a manos de Aleš Loprais. El lituano se encuentra ahora a 9'15" por detrás de su rival checo. Al pie del podio de la primera etapa, Martin Šoltys ha marcado el segundo mejor tiempo con 2'08'' y saca 12 segundos a Martin Macík, tercero. Mitchel Van Den Brink, que ha perdido tiempo al principio de la...

Últimas noticias - 05/01 12:45 [GMT +3] - Coche

Žala se da un respiro

Vaidotas Žala sigue en cabeza en el kilómetro 231 y saca 2'52'' de ventaja a Aleš Loprais. Martin Macík está a más de 3'30'' por detrás de de Žala. Mitchel Van Den Brink está a más de siete minutos y pierde el liderato del Dakar en la clasificación general virtual en favor de Loprais.

Últimas noticias - 04/01 13:41 [GMT +3] - Coche

¡Al ataque!

Vaidotas Zala cede casi un minuto en el km 182, lo que permite a Mitchel Van De Brink y a Martin Macik ponerse por delante. Van Den Brink tiene ahora una ventaja de solo 2” con respecto al defensor del título.

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