Following a triumphant season in the South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC), TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) is ready to tackle the ultimate motorsport challenge: the Dakar Rally. Held in Saudi Arabia starting January 2025, this grueling rally is known for its punishing landscapes, and TGRSA will enter the competition with a lineup of four powerful crews, each equipped with the latest version of the GR Hilux IMT Evo, the same model that recently clinched the 2024 SARRC title under the expert hands of Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings.
The Crews: A Blend of Experience, Youth, and Proven Champions
Leading the TGRSA squad is the seasoned pair of Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings, who will be driving car #211. Fresh off their SARRC championship win, Lategan and Cummings are poised to bring this momentum into the Dakar Rally, setting high expectations for a podium-worthy performance. Their journey through the 2024 season has demonstrated not only the strength of their partnership but also the formidable capability of the GR Hilux IMT Evo. This crew will be a strong force in the Dakar lineup, aiming to translate their regional success onto a global stage.
Joining them in car #205 are Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy, a pair well-versed in the intricacies of rally-raid driving. Throughout the SARRC season, Botterill and Murphy have delivered consistently strong performances, displaying the skill, endurance, and tenacity needed to take on the Dakar’s formidable challenges. Their participation underscores TGRSA’s commitment to fielding a competitive, resilient team capable of withstanding the punishing course ahead.
Adding youthful energy to the lineup, the team includes 19-year-old Saood Variawa and his co-driver Francois Cazalet in car #218. With an impressive season under their belts, Variawa’s rapid rise in the rally-raid world marks him as one of the youngest and most promising contenders in the 2025 Dakar. His resilience and competitive spirit highlight the strategic blend of experience and youth within TGRSA’s roster, showing that the team is not just focused on the present but also building for the future.
The fourth crew features Dakar veteran Giniel de Villiers, who will drive car #206 alongside former co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz. Together, De Villiers and Von Zitzewitz claimed a historic victory in the 2009 Dakar Rally, and their reunion for the 2025 Dakar brings a mix of history and experience to TGRSA. While Elvéne Vonk partnered with De Villiers during the recent SARRC season, the decision to reunite with Von Zitzewitz for Dakar underscores TGRSA’s emphasis on experience and strategy. This pairing brings a wealth of shared knowledge and intuitive understanding, which could prove invaluable in navigating the Dakar’s treacherous terrain.
The GR Hilux IMT Evo: A Champion Vehicle for Dakar’s Demands
The team’s chosen weapon for this endurance challenge is the GR Hilux IMT Evo, a vehicle purpose-built to handle the extreme demands of the Dakar Rally. Proven over the course of the 2024 SARRC season, this model’s durability and high performance have already secured multiple wins, as well as the championship title. Each iteration of the GR Hilux IMT Evo integrates TGRSA’s rally-raid expertise and cutting-edge technology to optimize reliability and resilience across diverse terrains, a factor that will be critical in Dakar’s notoriously difficult stages.
Equipped with the latest advancements and meticulously prepared for Dakar, the GR Hilux IMT Evo not only exemplifies Toyota’s engineering prowess but also reflects TGRSA’s commitment to pushing the limits of endurance racing. From its reinforced chassis to advanced suspension systems, the GR Hilux IMT Evo is built to withstand the brutal conditions and extended distances that define the Dakar Rally. This dedication to superior build quality and adaptability enables the TGRSA team to compete at the highest level, showcasing Toyota’s capabilities in one of the world’s most challenging motorsport arenas.
Commitment to Endurance Racing Excellence
As TGRSA readies its crews and vehicles for the Dakar 2025, the team stands as a testament to Toyota’s ongoing commitment to rally-raid and endurance racing. The journey to Dakar is not simply about competition but also about engineering innovation, testing Toyota’s most advanced technologies in some of the most extreme environments on the planet. TGRSA’s participation underscores its ambition to break new ground and solidify Toyota’s position in the world of rally-raid, reinforcing the brand’s legacy in endurance racing.
With a blend of championship-winning experience, youthful enthusiasm, and proven technology, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa enters the Dakar Rally prepared for an intense battle. In doing so, they aim to not only capture Dakar glory but also inspire fans and demonstrate Toyota’s engineering excellence on the global stage.
