Unless his appeal succeeds, Frits van Eerd will probably not be returning to the Dakar Classic in 2026.

Last Thursday, a Groningen court convicted van Eerd on corruption charges which included money laundering and forgery of documents, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison. He intends to appeal the verdict.

Van Eerd was the CEO of Jumbo, a Dutch supermarket chain that had long backed his compatriots in racing like Max Verstappen well before his entry into F1. He also raced himself in disciplines like sports cars, the latter including owning and driving for Racing Team Nederland in the World Endurance Championship. He and his team won the 2021 WEC LMP2 Pro-Am title as well as their class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 2022, van Eerd was arrested on suspicion of money laundering in an effort to raise funds for a motocross team. A police search of his home found €446,000 in cash, much of which were stashed in odd locations and had come from illicit means like a car dealer only described in legal proceedings as “Theo E.” Theo E. would be sentenced to 42 months in prison. Van Eerd defended himself by explaining the money came from his racing, but it was ruled out by the court.

Racing Team Nederland quietly shut down following his arrest, while Van Eerd stepped down from his post at Jumbo in 2023.

While waiting for the verdict, van Eerd decided to enter the Dakar Classic in January. Racing an Audi Quattro, he finished 62nd overall. He was one of four Dutchmen racing an Audi under the Dutch Quattro Legends banner.

Featured image credit: Murilo Matos / FOTOP / ASO