Martin van den Brink, always the first!

With his Mammoet Rallye Sport Team, Martin vd Brink is here to win his third Morocco Desert Challenge. Already first in Agadir, he tells us everything about his expectations in this 10th edition and the free time he had to think about it since he arrived here last Tuesday.

When did you arrive and why ?

We arrived here in Agadir on tuesday. We were not supposed to be there that early but we went to Spain last week in order to run some tests in the mountains close to Almeria. Everything went well and we finished our job earlier than expected so I asked to change the tickets for the boat on monday in Almeria which made us arrive here sooner.

What are you doing since your arrival here ?

Nothing ! We are just staying at the hotel, enjoy the swimming pool, we went to the beach… But the weather was bad and very windy… but it was okay to have some time off like that with my men.

I can also spend some time with others participants. There are a lot of Dutch and Belgium people, we know them all, they are all friends so it’s very nice to see them again.

Is it important to have some quiet time like that before the race ?

It is the first time in ten years that it happens to me like that. Normally I arrive on friday during the check, only one day before the race. My son arrives on friday night, this is how we do it usually.

So now you are waiting for the checks (beginning tomorrow), how do you feel about this first step before the race ?

I’ve been in so many rallyes that I feel okay here. I Know that everything is fine and that we are ready even if there is always some work to do, small things with the tires for example but I’m not worried at all.

What are your expectations on the race this year ?

For us it’s a nice race, to enjoy, to test some things and to win of course ! We won the last two editions, so we want to add this one and realize the big challenge to win three times in a row.

And this year I drive with my son in order to let him have his first experience in a rallye. He is 16 years old and motor crossing in Holland. He will be mechanic navigator with me for the first time and I want him to learn this new job here.

What do you like in the Morocco Desert Challenge ?

It’s a Belgian organization with very nice people like Gert and his parents. For us it’s the beginning of the season and we can test some things as we enjoy this rallye.

The atmosphere here is very special and better than in some other rallyes because we don’t feel too much pressure with the competition or the factory teams. We wanted to start the season here in the Morocco Desert Challenge in order to feel the pleasure before the competition. There is good food here, that’s also important ! We really want to enjoy and to win of course.