“You need passion, otherwise you won’t get very far”
En bref
R.D.G.
- A volunteer firefighter for 14 years in Hillegom, Richard de Groot’s passion for motorsport began on two wheels. He made his Dakar debut in 2006 as a bike rider, with remarkable statistics: 7 finish lines in 8 attempts,and 5/5 in malle-moto (without assistance)! He finally switched to the truck race in 2016 and has never looked back since.
- The Dutch entrepreneur, who works in energy, took a major step in 2017, by purchasing his own truck and establishing the Firemen Dakar Team with former firefighting colleagues, turning their shared background and values into a unique rally project built on teamwork, mutual support.
- Richard has competed in numerous editions of the Dakar Rally in Africa, South America and Saudi Arabia, achieving several strong finishes. He has broken into the Top 10, including a magnificent 7th place in 2025. Last year, the team sold its old Iveco to buy Martin Macik’s truck, winner of the Dakar 2024! A big upgrade that allowed them to get closer to the leaders.
M.v.R.
- As far as he can remember, Martijn van Rooij has always dreamed of doing the Dakar. As a child, he would sit in front of the TV in the mornings and evenings, imagining the adventures of his idol Jan de Rooy. The images that stuck with him most are those of the legendary catch-up with Ari Vatanen. Truly unforgettable!
- He never expected to end up in this world, which is why he is so grateful to be able to experience it all. He is the only member of his family involved in motorsports and sees himself as an “ordinary” mechanic who simply has a great passion for his work. But his daughters, Liz and Ize, are very excited that their father is participating, and they watch him on TV every day with their friends.
- A professional mechanic, he can fulfil this role as well as handling navigation. He has done both in several of his Dakar appearances, achieving three Top 10 finishes: two with Maurik van den Heuvel and one with Richard de Groot, whom he met in 2017 and who will be his driver this year.
Ambition
R.D.G.: “Dakar 2025 went really well for us, with a great final result of 7th overall. It was another challenging rally. You definitely need passion, otherwise you won’t get very far in the race! It’s a shame that our favorite part, the Empty Quarter, won’t be included. This was a truly unique section of the rally, and we will really miss it. We are still on an upward trend, and we want to at least match this result, but of course it would be even better to finish higher next year. This is definitely our goal. Apart from a few minor improvements, the truck is the same as last time. However, given the expected route, we have invested in extra tires. When we started this, our entire team consisted of firefighters. The team has now grown so large that this is no longer possible, but the majority are still with professional or volunteer fire departments. This creates a certain bond, something that is very important in the Dakar: a team that works well together and can count on each other in all circumstances.”
M.v.R.: “Dakar is definitely one of my dreams having come true. It remains a spectacular event every year and a blessing when I am allowed to participate again. I am therefore extremely grateful to Richard and Jan for entrusting me with this responsibility, and I will do everything I can to achieve the best possible result! Besides being really excited about it, I do feel the pressure to perform well. I'm not just coming for fun anymore, but with a goal in mind, which is to finish a place higher than last year. So, within the Top 6. But if it were up to me, we'd even go for the podium! In any case, it's not the truck’s fault, this one is in top condition.”
