December 3, 2025
MANN-FILTER at the Dakar Rally
Maximum protection in in the world’s toughest desert race: MANN-FILTER equips the Dakar truck of the Instatrade Loprais Team De Rooy FPT.
Ludwigsburg, December 3, 2025 – A truck built for the desert paired with filters that prove their worth: The Dakar Rally is considered the toughest off-road event in the world. Both man and machine must withstand extreme conditions. For premium brand MANN-FILTER, it’s the perfect stage to demonstrate the performance of its filtration technology. Together with the Instatrade Loprais Team De Rooy FPT, the brand ensures reliable protection and top performance in the desert.
The Dakar race truck with MANN-FILTER products
A strong team for the toughest rally in the world
The team led by truck pilot Aleš Loprais (45, Czech Republic) has been among the top contenders at Dakar for years. Loprais brings 19 Dakar starts, nine top-ten finishes, and an impressive runner-up result in 2024. At his side is co-driver David Kripal (43, Czech Republic), Dakar co-pilot since 2018 and an employee at MANN+HUMMEL Czech Republic, who contributes his experience and precision in the cockpit. The crew is completed by on-board mechanic Jiri Stross (44, Czech Republic), who has already proven his technical expertise in several Dakar appearances.
Together, they steer the robust Iveco FPT Powerstar rally truck, specially developed for extreme conditions and regarded as one of the most powerful competition trucks in its class. The right filtration technology plays a crucial role in this mission.
Reliable filtration for extreme conditions
Dust, heat, vibrations: the Dakar pushes every component to its limits. That’s why the team counts on MANN-FILTER products in original equipment quality, which reliably protect the engine, fuel and air systems, as well as hydraulic and compressed air components – even when fine desert sand, rocky tracks, or long stages demand everything from the material.
A standout feature is the golden MANN-FILTER air dryer cartridge with additional multi-stage drying and optimized oil separation. It ensures maximum protection for brake and pneumatic systems, even under the most extreme racing conditions – a decisive safety factor for both equipment and crew when every meter and every second counts. This includes oil filters, steering hydraulics solutions, as well as fuel and air filters. Even the smallest dirt particles or water droplets can damage sensitive components – potentially leading to complete system failure. In the harsh environment of the Dakar, absolute operational reliability is essential.
The impressions from racing confirm that these technologies deliver on their promise. Driver Aleš Loprais: “We can fully rely on MANN-FILTER filtration solutions. The high-quality filters protect the engine, air and fuel systems even under the most extreme conditions – whether in dust, rocky terrain or dunes. For us, this is a key factor for reliability and performance during the rally.”
Stronger together: MANN-FILTER delivers protection – the team delivers performance
With an experienced driver, a well-coordinated crew, and a high-performance rally truck, the team looks ahead to Dakar 2026 with confidence. The partnership combines technical expertise with sporting passion and a shared ambition to achieve top results in the toughest rally in the world.
Filippina Manou, MANN-FILTER Sponsorship Manager, sums it up: “From a motorsport sponsorship perspective, this commitment by our colleagues in the Czech Republic is simply fantastic. The opportunity to prove the technical and physical performance of our products under the harsh and challenging conditions of the legendary Dakar Rally is exactly what we strive for. We look forward to sharing these special moments with colleagues, customers, and fans.”
The Dakar Rally – a legend of extremes
Since 2020, the Dakar Rally has taken competitors through the deserts of Saudi Arabia: nearly 8,000 kilometers in total, around 4,800 kilometers of timed stages, unpredictable terrain, and daily navigation tasks revealed only in the morning via a digital roadbook. The surfaces vary between rocky tracks, soft dune fields, and rough gravel roads. Each stage demands full concentration, technical skill, and physical endurance. For the vehicles, this means extreme heat, massive dust exposure, and constant material stress. This is where the value of a dependable filtration solution becomes clear.
The Dakar Rally kicks off on January 3, 2026. Follow all the highlights on MANN-FILTER’s official social media channels – live, up close, and full of passion for motorsport.
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About MANN+HUMMEL
MANN+HUMMEL is a global leader in filtration technology. Headquartered in Ludwigsburg, Germany, the Group develops intelligent filtration and separation technologies – including in the areas of Transportation and Life Sciences & Environment. Founded in 1941, the family-owned company’s solutions ensure clean mobility, clean air, clean water and clean industrial processes around the world. In this way, MANN+HUMMEL makes a decisive contribution to protecting the environment and to the sustainable use of limited resources. In 2024, around 21,200 employees at over 80 locations around the world generated a turnover of EUR 4.5 billion.
For more information visit https://www.mann-hummel.com