Team PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO ready to compete in world’s toughest rally – Dakar 2019
The PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO Team will compete in the 41st edition of the Dakar Rally with four IVECO Powerstar trucks, which will be driven by Gerard De Rooy, two-time winner of the Dakar Rally and winner of the Africa Eco Race 2018; Federico Villagra, who will join the PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO Team for the first time; Ton van Genugten, winner of four stages and the most successful driver of the Dakar 2018; and experienced driver Maurik van den Heuvel, also new to the team.
Preparations for the 41st edition of the world’s most extreme rally race, the Dakar, are underway as the participating vehicles are on their way to Perú, having completed checks in Le Havre and boarded the ship for transport. With the two lead drivers, Gerard De Rooy and Federico Villagra, and the strongest PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO team ever, IVECO will aim to repeat the wins of last year’s Africa Eco Race and the 2012 and 2016 editions of the Dakar.
Team PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO will tackle the extreme terrains of the race on board four IVECO Powerstar. For the ninth consecutive year, IVECO be the official supplier of Team PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO and provide them with vehicles, engines and spare parts. Team Leader Gerard De Rooy will compete behind the wheel of the fixed-axle IVECO Powerstar that took him to victory in the Africa Eco Race 2018. His vehicle and the team’s other three Powerstars feature IVECO Cursor 13 engines with up to 1000 hp of power specially engineered by FPT Industrial – CNH Industrial’s powertrain brand.
For the 41st edition – and the 11th in South America – the Dakar 2019 will be entirely run on Peruvian soil, following a new loop with start and finish in the country’s capital, Lima. The rally’s competitors will tackle 10 tough stages covering 5,000 km. Around 70% of the competition will be run on sand, which will play a decisive role and present a particularly tough challenge for the drivers.
Pierre Lahutte, IVECO Brand President, commented: “We are looking forward to putting our vehicles to the test in the toughest rally race in the world, proving once again that the reputation for outstanding quality and reliability of IVECO off-road vehicles is well deserved. With Federico Villagra joining champion Gerard De Rooy for the first time in leading the four vehicle’s crews, they year we are competing with an exceptionally strong team: two first-class pilots who have consistently performed at the top of the category, and two very experienced drivers, Ton van Genugten and Maurik van den Heuvel, completing the team. I would like to express our appreciation for their
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determination, and our confidence in their ability to bring home more standout achievements in the forthcoming race.”
Gerard De Rooy, Dakar winner in 2012 and 2016, will aim for a repeat victory behind the wheel of an IVECO Powerstar Evo 3 – vehicle number #503 – with co-driver Moi Torrallardona. Mechanic Darek Rodewald will also be present on board the Powerstar, providing technical support throughout the event.
Federico Villagra, will aim for the podium behind the wheel of the second lead IVECO Powerstar Evo 3, vehicle number # 505, with co-pilot Ricardo Torlaschi and mechanic Adrian Yacopini.
Anton van Genugten, winner of four stages and the most successful driver of the Dakar 2018, will be behind the wheel of the third Powerstar Evo 2 (#509) with co-driver Bernardus Der Kinderen and mechanic Peter Willemsen.
Maurik van den Heuvel, a newcomer to Team PETRONAS De Rooy iVECO who has consistently finished in the top 10 in previous races, will drive the fourth Powerstar Evo 2 (#513) as fast assistence in race with navigator Peter Kuijpers and mechanic Martijn van Rooij.
