“I have a certain ranking in mind, but I'll keep that to myself”
En resumen
M.L.
- Marnix Leeuw drove a car for the first time when he was six years old, on his father’s property. Marc, his dad, has taken part in four Dakar, his first in 2007 driving a truck. He naturally passed his passion for rallying on to his son.
- At only 18, Marnix competed in the HunGarian Baja with his father, marking his debut. They set up a three-year plan: the first year included the Rallye Breslau Poland and the HunGarian Baja in a buggy; the second year was intended to include a rally in Morocco and the HunGarian Baja in a truck. Yet the plan changed when Marnix was invited to navigate an SSV in Dakar 2025. An opportunity that fit perfectly with his long-term goal, as the third year was planned to be his first Dakar as a driver.
- The young Leeuw gained valuable experience by finishing his first Dakar last year as a navigator, being one of the youngest competitors. He then prepared for his 2026 attempt with the Baja Europe and the Hungarian Baja, doing kilometres in a truck. He will now compete in his first Dakar as a driver at only 20 years old, on the same entry list as his role models, truck drivers Mitchel van den Brink and Martin Macik. By his side will be Marco Siemons, who was his father’s navigator in 2012.
M.S.
- Marco Siemons began his rally‑raid career in 2009 alongside Marc Leeuw, Marnix’s father. The two even competed in the Dakar Rally together in 2012. Marco then broadened his experience with other events, notably the Africa Eco Race, where he participated first as a mechanic and later as a navigator. A navigator with mechanical skills? “That’s a benefit!” as he likes to say.
- Fourteen years after starting with the father in Mar del Plata, he will now take the start with the son in Yanbu. Marco’s role is to navigate, but above all support Marnix in his rally‑raid development, passing on his experience and helping him progress.
- For Marco, protecting others is also a profession. He is the Head of Academy at Dräger Nederland, an engineering and technology firm that develops, manufactures, and sells advanced medical and safety technology products designed to protect, support, and save lives worldwide.
Ambición
M.L.: “You can definitely say that this is a dream coming true. I have been following the Dakar since I was a child, and I always wanted to follow in my father's footsteps. It is also very special that I can achieve this at such a young age. I am very grateful to my sponsors for making this dream come true! I learned so much from last year, and I will take it with me into this edition. It will be a very long and tough rally due to the record number of kilometres. My main goal is to complete the rally and finish. Of course, I have a certain ranking in mind, but I'll keep that to myself for now. I have been preparing this for a long time, we have a strong team with a lot of experience, so I’m going there in good spirits! My father has given me a lot of tips about the things he could have done differently, and I’m very grateful to him for that. I hope I can inspire young people to participate too. My biggest dream? To win the Dakar someday.”
M.S.: “It’s an amazing story, because I did the Dakar with Marc in 2012. I came back with Leeuw Rallysport two years ago, and from there the idea became clearer that Marnix also wanted to drive the Dakar in the future. He’s young, but his behaviour is very adult. He’s very enthusiastic, willing to learn and listen. To cross the finish line in Yanbu is goal number one, and besides that, try to have some nice days where we can achieve good positions. But to finish first, first you have to finish! And for Marnix’s first Dakar, the main objective is to keep the sponsors happy, finish, and maybe continue next year to level up a bit. With my experience and age, I think we have a nice mixture, also with Bett as a mechanic. We are willing to help Marnix with our knowledge and experience to prevent some mistakes, because he’s young and not aware of older traps awaiting you at Dakar. Here, everything is important, including the food and drinking. It will be my first time in Saudi Arabia, and that’s one of the main reasons I agreed with my wife to participate. I’ve drove in Africa and South America, now it’s time for Saudi Arabia.”
