The 19-year-old Marnix Leeuw from Eindhoven cannot get up. He only has his large driver’s license for two months, but will drive the famous Dakar Rally in a truck early next year. And also with the well-known team De Rooij of former Dakar winner Gerard de Rooy from Son. With a two -year contract in his pocket, Marnix follows in the footsteps of his father: “It is really a dream come true.”
The smile on his face speaks volumes, because Marnix Leeuw is in seventh heaven. He has bought an Iveco Powerstar from Team De Rooy and they will also do maintenance during the Dakar Rally.
“It’s really super cool,” the young driver shines. “Team De Rooy is of course a big name in the Dakarwereld. With Jan and Gerard de Rooy, this team was always a bit FC Barcelona, a fantastic and iconic team. I saw their performance on television and I found that enormously impressive. This is the serious work and it is great that I get this chance.”
“I have only had my truck driving license for two months.”
Marnix has team manager Gerard de Rooy through his father Marc Leeuw, who himself participated in the Dakar Rally four times. “My father also came about my dream,” continues the young driver. “From childhood I grew up with the Dakar Rally. I saw him riding and I thought that was so great that I wanted to experience it myself.”
And that worked too. Last edition Marnix was the youngest participant in the Dakar Rally. In addition to driver Sander Derikx, he reached the finish in Saudi Arabia as a navigator in a buggy. “That actually turned out better than I expected,” says Leeuw. “But driving the Dakar Rally itself in a truck is something completely different.”
To make that dream come true in a truck, Marnix had drawn up a three -year plan with his father Marc. But that is now faster than expected. “The idea was to learn to navigate, tinkering and driving in a truck first. The first two things can be done well, but I will still have to make some flying hours. I am already getting the chance to ride the Dakar Rally in a truck is all special.”
Certainly because he can only officially ride a truck recently. “Watching it, yes, I actually only have my truck driving license for two months,” Leeuw says laughing. “I have already driven some rallies and was first first in the Breslau Rally. I am really impressed what such a truck can do. But the Dakar Rally is different from this kind of competition.”
“Winning the Dakar Rally is actually my greatest dream.”
With Team De Rooy, his first adventure in the truck starts quietly. He drives the Dakar Rally 2026 with an experienced technician and navigator. Marnix hopes to be able to work as a fast assistant, but that is still clear. “But first try to drive the Dakar Rally out of it.”
Fortunately, he gets help from team manager Gerard de Rooy, who himself won the Dakar Rally in 2012 and 2016. “Gerard is going to support me and give tips and tricks,” says Marnix. “Because with such a truck it is different from driving the dunes than with a buggy. Hopefully he will also sit next to me a number of times.”
Marnix Leeuw realizes that he is a lucky bird who sees a dream come true at the age of 19. But he doesn’t think about that for a long time. “Winning the Dakar Rally is actually my biggest dream,” he admits. “But certainly not this year, haha. Who ever knows. Oh well, you can dream big?”
