“The Dakar is a shot of human stories”
CREW FACTS
GFS
- Fascinated with the “myth” of the Dakar, Giuseppe Francesco Simonato became a legend himself, with decades of achievements leading him to a 19th participation in January 2025.
- Just like he did in 2024, he will storm the Arabian desert aboard a Magirus he knows inside out as an Iveco specialist.
- Simonato already has his mind set on the future, sharing his experience with newcomers and developing a new team, Gealife, already gearing for the Dakar 2026 with several trucks.
AB
- Born in 1989, Alessio Bentivoglio is about as old as the Iveco Magirus that got him through the Arabian desert last year in his maiden Dakar participation.
- Bentivoglio made the most of his experience, being a mechanics for 15 years to survive his first Dakar… and to get ready for the next one, with intense work to revamp the truck.
IS
- From her childhood in the South Tyrol, Irene Saderini picked up a passion for the great out
AMBITIONS 2025
G.F.S.: “At this point, the Dakar is like a family for me. I’ve been in this environment since the 1990s, and then the 2000s, 2010s and now 2020s… And it’s an ongoing story still bringing great excitement.
Every year is a new challenge, against yourself and against the desert, and I’m also fortunate to have a completely revamped truck, with a new engine, new suspension, a new more aerodynamic rear body… The novelties bring a challenge within the challenge. The Dakar is also life. It’s not just a race or an experience, it really is a spirit of life.
The first goal is to make it to the finish. We know it’s a great feat already and also the race will be harder this year. This is not a truck that can win the Dakar Classic but we hope we can get a good result.
This year, we still partner up with Tecnosport and Gealife will be fully autonomous in 2026, with two service trucks and three trucks in the race, all of them from Iveco. With a very very powerful truck, we may go for the best result.”
A.B.: “My first Dakar was an extremely beautiful experience that I can only wish for everyone to live. For someone who really is passionate about this, you can’t describe the emotions you feel from the first day all the way to the finish. When you get to the podium, you’re full of tears, filled with joy, because I really think it’s the most beautiful race in the world.
As soon as I returned to Italy, I was already thinking about a second participation. We immediately started working on the truck, with some improvements. And I just couldn’t wait to return. You miss the desert, you miss the sand, you miss the sleepless nights repairing the truck…
And it’s great to be with Giuseppe. I could almost call him my uncle. As a mechanics, I only intervene when there are issues with the truck. But the rest of the time, I just enjoy the environment of the race and what Beppe does, how he responds to the navigator. He has a beautiful drive. We had a great time on the dunes.”
I.S.: “The Dakar is something I’ve always dreamed of, since I was a girl. I used to ride enduro bikes and I actually dreamt of doing the Dakar on a bike. But I never became a 6-footer so it&
