DAKAR 2026

Trucks: Martin Van Den Brink/Rijk Mouw /Peter Willemsen wins prologue 1

Martin Van Den Brink / Rijk Mouw / Peter Willemsen (Iveco Powerstar/Eurol Rallysport) won the T5 prologue. 1 with Vaidotas Zala / Paulo Fiuza / Max Van Grol (Iveco Powerstar/Zala Team De Rooy FPT) three seconds behind, with Gert Huzink / Hugo Kupper / Mario Kress (Renault C460 Evo 4/Kuipers Jongbloed Hybrid) right after, with Martin Soltys / Vlastimil Miksch / Tomas Sikola (Tatra Buggyra Evo 3/Tatra Buggyra Zm Racing) and Ales Loprais / David Kripal / Jiri Stross (Iveco Powerstar/Loprais Team De Rooy FPT) closing the top 5.

Martin Macik / Frantisek Tomasek / David Svanda (MM Technology/Iveco Dakar Evo4) started with a target on their backs and finished only 11th. The two-time champion admits that the hardest thing is not winning, but staying on top. “When you finish in first place two years in a row, everyone wants to beat you. Before, everyone wanted to beat you. “Kamaz. Now, everyone wants to beat you,” explains the Czech driver.

Interestingly, Macík provided the tools for his main rival. The young Mitchel van den Brink drives exactly the same truck as him, an Evo 4 supplied by Macík's team. “It's very interesting to make the comparison, because he's faster in some sections and I'm faster in others. Driving style also makes a difference, although sometimes we finish with only a few seconds difference after 400 km, which is quite incredible.” For now, this was just the ‘appetizer’.

Dakar 2026 trucks top 5:

-Martin Van Den Brink / Rijk Mouw / Peter Willemsen (Iveco Powerstar/Eurol Rallysport)

-Vaidotas Zala / Paulo Fiuza / Max Van Grol (Iveco Powerstar/Zala Team De Rooy FPT) 

-Gert Huzink / Hugo Kupper / Mario Kress (Renault C460 Evo 4/Kuipers Jongbloed Hybrid)

-Martin Soltys / Vlastimil Miksch / Tomas Sikola (Tatra Buggyra Evo 3/Tatra Buggyra Zm Racing) 

-Ales Loprais / David Kripal / Jiri Stross (Iveco Powerstar/Loprais Team De Rooy FPT) closing the top 5.

Autonews and Mundoquatrorodas