Castrol is partnering with a leading non-works truck racing team participating in the 2025 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia to further evaluate the performance of its engine oils in extreme conditions, using the findings to help guide the development of future advanced commercial vehicle lubricants.
Castrol has signed a one-year sponsorship agreement with the Netherlands-based Firemen Dakarteam, which will use Castrol’s products to lubricate its racer, built by custom rally truck specialist, MM Technology. This same vehicle clinched overall victory in the truck category at the 2024 Dakar Rally, when it was piloted by Martin Macik.
Throughout the Dakar Rally 2025, which runs for three weeks between 3 and 17 January, the Firemen Dakarteam’s challenger will use Castrol lubricants supplied via local distributor, Schouten Energy to help keep its race vehicle operating reliably at the limit. Team mechanics will then take daily lubricant samples for comprehensive analysis by the Castrol research and development team based at the company’s headquarters in Pangbourne, UK. The results will be used to further optimise Castrol’s existing range of advanced commercial vehicle lubricants and will help inform the development of future products.
The Dakar Rally is seen as one of the toughest tests in global motorsport for competing vehicles, their critical components and fluids. The gruelling 2025 race will stretch for almost 8,000 kilometres from Bisha to Shubaytah in Saudi Arabia, with trucks, like the one to be piloted by Firemen Dakarteam’s Richard de Groot, crossing the desert at speeds of up to 140 km/h.
De Groot, who finished ninth in last year’s race, has been a long time competitor in the Dakar Rally. This year will be his thirteenth time participating in the endurance event, having raced eight times on a bike before switching to racing trucks in 2016. With both the Dakar winning truck and Castrol’s premium lubricants, he plans to take the next step in the development of his team.
Michael Baker, European Business Development Director at Castrol Europe, said: “Every product in Castrol’s growing portfolio of advanced commercial vehicle oils, fluids and greases benefits from our 125-year heritage in the premium lubricants market. Truck manufacturers, operators and workshops know they can trust products bearing the Castrol brand to deliver quality and dependability – even when pushed to the limit – helping them improve operational efficiency and reduce downtime. We look forward to supporting Firemen Dakarteam as they take on another Dakar Rally challenge, undoubtedly one of the greatest tests of motorsport endurance.”
Building on a proven commercial vehicle lubricant range
Castrol’s extensive range of commercial vehicle lubricants have been specifically engineered for demanding applications with extended drain intervals. Able to handle extreme loads and temperatures, each product has been designed to offer high standards of performance and protection.
Castrol VECTON with System Pro Technology™ is the brand’s core range of advanced diesel engine oils for commercial vehicles. System Pro Technology™ delivers up to 45% extra performance reserve1 that fights oil breakdown by effectively combating oxidation and deposits, neutralising harmful acids, controlling oil aeration, adapting to increased temperatures and resisting viscosity loss to maintain optimal lubrication properties. This means longer useful oil life, giving confidence in the maximum drain interval.
Castrol CRB diesel engine oils provide excellent protection to commercial vehicle engines, helping them operate efficiently and last longer, avoiding unexpected downtime and minimising repair costs.
Castrol CRB Turbomax with Durashield™ Technology engine oil helps break the destructive cycle of heat, deposits and wear, delivering up to 40% better wear protection2 for a long and healthy engine life.
Castrol CRB Multi and Castrol CRB Monograde engine oils feature cleaning agents which displace particles that may otherwise build up on engine surfaces, reducing deposits. They also contain antioxidants which disrupt the chemical reactions that can lead to oil thickening. As a result, these products provide effective piston deposit control and maintain their viscosity to encourage long and healthy engine life.
Castrol recently launched a new VECTON 5W-30 F-TRUCKS CK-4 commercial vehicle lubricant for use in a variety of Ford Trucks vehicles. It has been designed to meet Ford Trucks’ WSS-M2C213-A1 specification, which is based on the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers’ (ACEA) Oil Sequences E6 and E9 standard. The new lubricant is suitable for use in F-Max trucks featuring Ford’s Ecotorq Euro 6 engine and is also compliant with API’s CK-4 specification.
4 January 2025
