Marnix Leeuw will have only had his trucking license for about eight months when he races the 2026 Dakar Rally in the Truck category. The 19-year-old has a two-year contract with Team de Rooy that will see him pilot an IVECO PowerStar for them starting in 2026.

“It’s really super cool,” he stated. “Team De Rooy is, of course, a big name in the Dakar world. With Jan and Gerard de Rooy, the team has always been a bit like FC Barcelona, a fantastic and iconic team. I saw their performances on TV and found it very impressive.”

His father Marc raced the Dakar Rally four times in the late 2000s, also primarily in a truck. When the younger Leeuw turned 18, he and his dad raced Rallye Breslau and the Hungarian Baja together in a Can-Am Maverick. They finished eighth in class at the latter.

In January, Leeuw made his Dakar debut as the navigator for Sander Derikx in the SSV class. They went on to finish 20th overall in class with a best run of 12th in Stage 5.

The Leeuws initially had a three-year plan starting in 2024 that would also culminate in Marnix racing a truck by the third year, but was more drawn out to give him seat time.

With things being expedited, he now expects to mostly be driving an assistance truck with an experienced navigator and mechanic by hiss side. Still, those plans have not been finalized.

“Gerard will support me and give me tips and tricks,” he noted, referring to Team de Rooy boss and two-time Dakar winner Gerard de Rooy. “Driving through the dunes with a truck like that is different than driving a buggy. Hopefully he will also sit next to me a few times.”

“Winning the Dakar Rally is my biggest dream, but certainly not this year. Who knows one day. You’re allowed to dream big, right?”

Featured image credit: Djoey Soetens / DS Productions