26-05-2025
Toyota Gazoo Racing SA's GR Hilux EVOs shine at the 2025 South African Safari Rally
Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy and Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet learnt valuable lessons at the 2025 South African Safari Rally.
Image: Supplied
It was lessons well learnt as the two Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) GR Hilux EVOs wrapped up the 2025 South African Safari Rally held around the Sun City Resort in the North West Province at the weekend.
The event, sponsored by Toyota Gazoo Racing, was the third round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).
Wrapping up six days (including the Prologue) of demanding competition, Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy and Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet concluded the race with determined performances on the final 111-kilometre special stage around Sun City, bringing home valuable World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) points in the process.
Pushing hard
The stage covered 222 kilometres, featuring two liaison sections split by a high-speed special run through a mix of black sand, soft gravel, rocky outcrops, and dry savannah.
Variawa and Cazalet were first out of the gates, following their Stage four win. Opening the route proved to be a challenge, as expected, and they struggled to maintain their winning pace.
'I gave it everything,' said Variawa. 'I pushed at yesterday's winning pace, but opening the road makes it incredibly difficult. There's just no line to follow, and by the time a few cars are through, the route changes completely. We saw corners become straights just a few cars back.'
The young duo finished 18th on Stage five, 7min 31sec behind the leader. Despite the time loss, their pace across the week, including a stage win, underscored their progress and potential at the world level.
'All in all, it was an amazing event,' Variawa added. 'The scenery, the fans, the stages, everything was fantastic. We were fighting with the world's best, and it's clear we're moving in the right direction.'
The Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa teams now focus on the upcoming rally in Portugal.
Image: Supplied
Clean run
Teammates Botterill and Murphy were also going hell for leather. After rebounding strongly earlier in the week, they produced another clean run to finish 12th on the final stage, despite facing the complexities of a less-than-ideal road position.
'We had a really successful weekend overall,' said Botterill. 'We managed two 1-2 stage finishes as a team, which was fantastic. The pace is definitely there, we just need to cut out the small mistakes and learn how to better manage the road order strategy in these world-level events.
'Nobody won a stage starting in the top 10 this week. You really want to be starting fifth or sixth every day, but it's hard to get that balance right. The guys who've been doing this for a while know how to play the game. We're learning fast, and we'll come back stronger.'
Both TGRSA GR Hilux EVOs completed the event without major mechanical issues.
Good showing
The team's consistency saw Variawa finish 12th overall, with Botterill just behind in 13th, both gaining valuable experience and contributing to Toyota's Manufacturers' Championship lead.
From a W2RC standpoint, Toyota leads the Manufacturers' standings on 311 points, ahead of The Dacia Sandriders (219) and Ford M-Sport (190). In the Drivers' classification, Variawa currently lying 12th edges closer to the top ten, while Botterill in 21st place, adds valuable points to his international campaign.
The South African pair of Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings (Toyota GR Hilux EVO) racing for Toyota Gazoo Europe, won the race overall.
With the South African round of the W2RC now complete, the focus shifts to the next round in Portugal, where both TGRSA crews will look to build on the experience and pace shown on home soil.
