PETRONAS Triumphs in the Dakar Rally 2016

Gerard De Rooy, captain of the PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco team, won the 2016 edition of what is recognized in the world as the most demanding off-road racing event. The Dutch driver with his green Iveco Powerstar truck powered by PETRONAS Urania engine oil and PETRONAS functional fluids was the first to cross the finish line with 1 hour 15 minutes 27 seconds ahead of Mardeev, the Russian driver of Kamaz Team.

“This is a great achievement for De Rooy and we would like to congratulate him on a very successful win! The Dakar Rally is a race that tests not just a driver’s driving skills but also the reliability of the trucks to keep going under extreme conditions. We are proud to be technical partners to Iveco and De Rooy. This has enabled us to develop superior lubricants and functional fluids in close collaboration with Iveco, a leading global brand in truck and diesel engine manufacturing. This win is a testament of great machine and fluids engineering,” said Amir Hamzah Azizan, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS Lubricants International.

“We wish to thank PETRONAS that is not only the Title sponsor of the team but a very valuable technical partner. PETRONAS’ formulations, technical expertise, and recommendations have helped us improve our trucks’ performances especially in some very critical conditions; for example, when it was too hot or too cold. In the extreme driving conditions like the Dakar, the role of a reliable, high-performing engine oil cannot be underestimated and that is what we get with PETRONAS Urania. This win proves that PETRONAS is more than just a supplier of superior lubricants and functional fluids – they are the true experts and very relevant to our success,” said Gerard De Rooy.

The 2016 Dakar marks the fifth year of the PETRONAS-Iveco-De Rooy partnership. The team secured its first win in 2012 and has kept the competitive spirit alive on and off tracks. As a long-term technical collaborator with Iveco, PETRONAS plays a fundamental role in the development of lubricants, transmission fluids and coolant that are customized especially for the De Rooy’s Powerstars and Iveco’s global fleet.

In 2014 PETRONAS successfully developed in cooperation with IVECO a 0W-20 heavy duty engine oil the PETRONAS Urania Next 0W-20. PETRONAS Urania Next 0W-20 commercial vehicle lubricant is qualified to Iveco Standard 18-1804 TLV LS and is technologically enhanced for fuel economy with proven fuel savings up to 2.5% in specific vehicle operating conditions.

“Technology is our key differentiator at PETRONAS and we put all our expertise to work developing innovative lubricants. We constantly strive to push boundaries to meet our partners’ needs – in this instance a lubricant for a new engine generation with requirements for better fuel efficiency to contribute to commercial vehicle fleets’ economics. This win by the De Rooy team is a great success for Iveco and PETRONAS, and proves that our joint product development efforts are on the right track to help our partners keep going for longer with higher reliability and lower fuel consumption be it on the challenging Dakar race, or during day-to-day transportation needs. The partnership with Iveco and the proven reliability of the PETRONAS Urania lubricant aretruly a formula to win, tested to the absolute extreme of endurance and durability,” said Eric Holthusen, PETRONAS Lubricants International Group Chief Operations Officer.

Issued by

PETRONAS Lubricants International