Tomas Vratny on Tatra FF7: “I believe the ‘Seven’ in the name will bring us good luck”

Fesh Fesh‘s new Tatra FF7 truck had a strong début at the Baja Poland last month when it finished third in class. As the Rallye du Maroc and 2025 Dakar Rally loom, owner/driver Tomáš Vrátný is hoping it can keep up its pace.

The FF7 was revealed in July at the Colours of Ostrava festival, where it was christened by Czech President Petr Pavel. Luck did not seem to be on its side at first when the team had to abort the Baja Poland’s Prologue due to the gas pedal sensor malfunctioning, forcing them to work overnight to get it fixed for the weekend. From there, however, they managed to regain their footing and finish third among trucks in the Polish Cross-Country Rally Championship behind a pair of fellow Tatras from Buggyra ZM Racing.

“Ahead of the Morocco races, we’re assessing a lot of feedback and issues that came up during Baja Poland, and I hope the car will be well-prepared for Africa,” said Vrátný. “I believe the ‘Seven’ in the name will bring us good luck.”

The FF7 is a 4×4 vehicle that stands in rather stark contrast to Fesh Fesh’s Ford Cargo EVO I and Tatra Jamal EVO III. It measures at 6.49 metres long by 3.2 m wide and 2.5 m high, with a wheelbase of 4,500 millimetres. From there, it weighs in at 8,750 kilograms.

The truck’s body was designed in partnership with the Slovakian R&D company Werkemotion. It boasts a cab-over design pulled from the wildly successful Tatra 815 Puma, which sits atop a chassis with swinging axles, air springs, and a central load-bearing tube frame. A central tyre inflation system, common among Tatra’s military trucks, is used within the cabin to manage the 14.00R20 Michelin X Force ZL tyres.

Lead designer Jiří Fišer explained the over-cab appearance came following “a careful analysis of service times for the components located under the cab. Reaching them was hard in previous models, which is a challenge during long-distance rallies. That’s why, in accordance with FIA regulations, we moved the cab above the front axle and placed the engine behind the axle.

“We also needed to improve directional stability for high-speed racing while optimising the weight distribution on each axle. Thus, we extended the overall length and wheelbase, rearranged the component locations, and the first test drives showed this was the right move.”

It features a thirteen-litre inline six-cylinder Volvo D13 engine, which can produce 1,100 horsepower with 4,500 Nm of torque. The transmission is an automatic six-speed from Allison and comes with a Tatra 1.30 gearbox. Donerre is responsible for providing its shocks.

TechTir provided control units for the FF7, which features more of them for accumulating data than its predecessors. For example, there are now optimised gauges that list fuel consumption and temperature readings.

“Due to its unique nose, many people might not recognize it as a Tatra at first glance. However, the use of the Tatra 815 cabin clearly shows the vehicle’s identity, and a side view of the cab door reveals the ‘Czech classic,'” Vrátný remarked. “Overall, the truck’s appearance is much more striking. A lot of fans are talking about the front of the vehicle, but we’re still making changes to the air intake to the engine cooler. I’m satisfied with the cabin. The team moved the rear protection frame outside the cockpit to give the crew more space. Of course, we’re still getting used to not seeing the ‘nose’ in front of us.

“It will be interesting in Morocco, but I respect the new design since the engineers’ arguments made sense to me. The new weight distribution will improve driving, and better access to the interior will reduce service times and improve quality. That will definitely have a positive effect on the vehicle and crew’s performance.”

Vrátný finished ninth in the Truck class at his latest Dakar Rally in 2023, where he drove the Jamal. He skipped the 2024 race while Fesh Fesh fielded the Jamal for Vaidotas Paškevičius and Ford Cargo for Albert Llovera, who respectively retired and finished seventeenth. Llovera will not return to Fesh Fesh for 2025.

The Rallye du Maroc is scheduled for 6–11 October while the 2025 Dakar Rally takes place on 3–17 January; Bartłomiej Boba and Jaromir Martinec will respectively continue as his co-driver and mechanic. Vrátný won a stage and en route to a third in class at the 2023 Moroccan rally.