TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) launched its 2025 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) campaign with a strong display of pace, perseverance and potential at the Renault KEC 400 this past weekend. Held at the rugged Legends Adventure Farm near Bronkhorstspruit, the season opener served up a demanding mix of terrain and competition — and TGRSA’s Saood Variawa and co-driver Francois Cazalet rose to the occasion, claiming a career-best second place overall.
The two-day event opened with the Falken Wild Peak Prologue on Friday morning, followed by a fast and technical Stage 1 in the afternoon. Variawa and Cazalet started the weekend with the ninth-fastest qualifying time but quickly made their presence felt, powering up to third overall by the close of Friday’s racing. On Saturday, the battle intensified over two gruelling 175 km loops — a test of precision and endurance through rutted tracks, rocky climbs, and slick mud traps.
With just 11 seconds separating them from the leaders heading into the final day, Variawa and Cazalet mounted a fierce charge for victory. “We had the pace and were on for the win in my eyes,” said Variawa. “But two punctures cost us time, and we also took a two-minute penalty. Still, it’s a podium finish — my best so far in the championship — and I’m really happy with the team, the car and our performance.”
Their total time of 6hr 10min 02sec put them just 2min 38sec behind winners Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer of Ford NWM. The result marks a significant milestone in Variawa’s rally-raid journey and confirms the growing threat he poses in the elite Ultimate T1+ class.
Elsewhere in the TGRSA camp, Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena looked set to challenge for top honours after a commanding Prologue run and a strong Stage 1 performance that saw them briefly lead the rally. However, a power steering failure just 3 km into Saturday’s first stage forced them into unscheduled repairs and relegated them to 15th overall, seventh in class. “Guy did an amazing job on Friday,” commented team principal Shameer Variawa. “He was really quick, and it was just bad luck that cost him the result on Saturday.”
The team’s third crew, João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro, endured a frustrating South African debut. The Portuguese duo showed promise in the Prologue but exited the race prematurely after misjudging a tricky corner during Stage 1 and ending up in a river. Fortunately, both drivers emerged unscathed. “João was adjusting well,” said Saood Variawa. “It was just one of those things — a tricky corner caught a few of us out.”
Despite the mixed fortunes, the GR Hilux IMT EVO again proved its mettle under extreme rally-raid conditions, with all three crews demonstrating its competitive edge. The reliability, strength and speed of the platform remain core to TGRSA’s strategy as the team eyes a title push in the coming rounds.
Next up is the double-header Parys/Vaal 400 from 15–16 August, where TGRSA will be looking to convert their early-season momentum into sustained championship success.
“This was a tough event,” said Shameer Variawa, “but it showed just how capable our drivers and the GR Hilux are. There’s still a lot of racing ahead — and we’re just getting started.”
