Baja Aragón Postponed
Baja Aragón Postponed: Team De Rooy Returns Home from Spain
Everything was ready in the bivouac, but the rally was called off at the very last moment.
Team De Rooy travelled to Spain on Monday with high expectations for the Baja Aragón.
The trucks, equipment and technical crew arrived on schedule, and everything was fully prepared in the bivouac. Confidence within the team was high, with genuine hopes of fighting for a podium finish.
Those plans changed abruptly.
During dinner, the team was informed that the rally would not take place. Due to the extreme risk of wildfires in the region, the organisers decided to postpone the event. For Team De Rooy, it meant dismantling days of preparation before a single competitive kilometre had been driven.
Disappointment in the Bivouac
For Technical Manager and Head of Engineering Corné van Drunen, the news could hardly have come at a worse moment. While the team had already completed all preparations, driver Javier Mariezcurrena was still travelling to Spain when the announcement was made.
“We left on Monday and had everything set up in the bivouac. During dinner we suddenly heard that the rally had been cancelled. It’s a huge disappointment for the entire team, but especially for Javier, who was still on his way to Spain at that very moment.”
The following morning, the drivers, mechanics and engineers gathered one final time before dismantling the bivouac and packing all equipment back into the trucks. At 12:30 pm, Team De Rooy left Spain as one of the last teams to depart.
“Everyone worked incredibly hard to have everything ready on time. Naturally, you want the opportunity to show what you’ve prepared for. But safety must always come first. All we can do is accept the situation, pack everything up and focus on what’s next.”
Focus Shifts to the Rally du Maroc
After an intense period of preparation, the team will now take a well-deserved three-week summer break. Once back, all attention will turn to the Rally du Maroc, where Team De Rooy hopes to convert its preparation and pace into strong results.
“In Morocco we want to demonstrate what this team is capable of. We’re ready, motivated and looking forward to getting back into competition.” – Corné van Drunen
For now, the story of the Baja Aragón is not yet completely over. The event has been postponed, but it remains uncertain whether the rally will return to the 2026 calendar later this year.