Latest news with #WorldRally-RaidChampionship
eNCA
28-05-2025
- Sport
- eNCA
SA hosts successful rally event
RUSTENBURG - South Africa consistently proves that it knows and is capable of hosting world-class sporting events. The Safari Rally is no exception. As part of the World Rally-Raid Championship, the event brought some of the best off-road drivers on the planet to the scenic surrounds of Sun City. But it wasn't just about high-octane action, it was a win for sport tourism and the local economy. eNCA's Justin Ford was trackside to capture the energy, the dust and the global talent.
IOL News
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
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.
The Citizen
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Toyota Gazoo Racing caps off Safari Rally with a strong finish
In addition to the pair of South African entered GR Hiluxes, overall victory went to the factory Gazoo Racing team of Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings. Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet completed the first-ever South African Safari Rally in 12th place overall for Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa. Picture: Toyota Gazoo Racing The inaugural South African Safari Rally, round three of the World Rally-Raid Championship, oncluded with the fifth stage on Saturday (24 May), wrapping up six days of racing through some of the country's most punishing terrain. Final push Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa crews Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy, and Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet capped the event with a double top 15 finish on the on the final 111 km special stage around Sun City. The stage covered 222 km in total, featuring two liaison sections split by a high-speed special run through a mix of sand, soft gravel, rocky outcrops, and dry savannah. Opening the route after winning the fourth stage proved a tall order for teenager Variawa and his French co-driver Cazalet as they struggled to maintain 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.' ALSO READ: Toyota Gazoo Racing ends Safari Rally fourth stage on a high The duo finished 18th on Stage 5, seven min 31 sec behind the leader. '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.' Teammates Botterill and Murphy also rebounding strongly after a tough start to the event. They produced another clean run to finish 12th on the final stage. '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.' Reflecting on the rally's, Botterill noted: '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.' All round success for Toyota Both Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa GR Hilux EVOs completed the event without issues Variawa/Cazalet finishing 12th overall and with Botterill/Murphy 13th. In the overall standings, works Toyota Gazoo Racing team Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings took the victory ahead of the Dacia Sandrider of nine-times world rally champion Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin, and the second Gazoo Racing Hilux EVO of Brazilian Lucas Moraes and Spanish co-driver Armand Monleon. In the drivers' classification, Variawa edges closer to the top ten, while Botterill adds valuable points to his international campaign. With the South African round complete, the focus shifts to the next round in Portugal on 22-28 September. Overall Results #205 Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings – Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux DKR EVO #219 Sébastien Loeb/Fabian Lurquin – Dacia Sandrider #203 Lucas Moraes/Armand Monleon – Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux DKR EVO #277 Gareth Woolridge /Boyd Dreyer – Castrol Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Ranger T1+ #225 Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz – Ford M-Sport Raptor DKR #204 Seth Quintero/Dennis Zenz – Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux DKR EVO #227 Nani Roma/Alex Haro – Ford M-Sport Raptor DKR #242 Daniel Schröder/Henry Köhne – PS Laser Racing Volkswagen Amarok #222 Guillaume De Mévius/Xavier Panseri – X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works #200 Nasser Al-Attiyah/Édouard Boulanger – Dacia Sandrider ALSO READ: Stage 3: No let up for Toyota Gazoo Racing on South African Safari
IOL News
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Navigational hurdles challenge Toyota Gazoo Racing SA in intense third stage of South African Safari Rally
The third day of the 2025 South African Safari Rally presented another demanding test of navigation and endurance. The event, sponsored by Toyota Gazoo Racing, is the third round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). After a cold night in the Marathon bivouac outside the Town of Stella, the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) teams had a tough day on the third and Marathon stage of the 2025 South African Safari Rally around Sun City in the North West Province. Demanding day The day presented another demanding test of navigation and endurance, with both crews working hard to overcome the challenge of starting near the front of the field. The stage covered 518 kilometres in total, with a 246 kilometre competitive section, preceded by a nine kilometre liaison, and followed by a 263 kilometre road section. Terrain conditions were as tricky as any seen so far in the rally, with vast grasslands, soft sand, rocky ridges, and an absence of clearly defined tracks, especially in the early parts of the route. For the crews tasked with opening the road, the difficulty was compounded by the low morning sun and limited reference points in the open veld. Stress Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy, fresh off their win on Stage two, their first ever in the World Rally-Raid Championship, were first into the special on Stage three. Despite the navigational stress of opening the route, the pair kept things tidy and pushed through the toughest terrain with a clean run. 'Today was always going to be tough,' said Botterill. 'At the driver briefing, we were warned that the navigation would be even harder than Wednesday, and it definitely was. I think we did a fantastic job today. 'Although our times don't show it, I actually think today's drive was better than yesterday's. We drove close to 100 kilometres with no road at all, which was tricky to navigate. Dennis did a great job, no punctures, and we kept it all clean and tidy.' The pair finished the stage in 18th place, 10min 10sec off the fastest time that saw them maintain 15th position in the overall standings, 20min 25sec off the rally lead.
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa excels in the second stage of the 2025 South African Safari Rally
As per Marathon Stage regulations, no external technical support is allowed overnight, requiring crews to service and prepare their vehicles on their own. The event, sponsored by Toyota Gazoo Racing, is the third round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). After the struggles of the first stage on Tuesday, yesterday saw a much improved Marathon second stage for the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa team in their GR Hilux EVOs at the 2025 South African Safari Rally around Sun City in the North West Province. Stage win Local squads Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy claimed a commanding stage win, while teammates Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet followed closely behind in second place. The stage covered 620 kilometres, including a 212 kilometre liaison, a 356 kilometre special stage, and a final 55 kilometre road section into the Marathon bivouac near the town of Stella. As per Marathon Stage regulations, no external technical support is allowed overnight, requiring crews to service and prepare their vehicles on their own ahead of today's Stage three. Stage conditions varied, with fast open grassland sections with deep ruts, patches of sand, turf, and short stretches of tarmac. The lack of defined tracks in many areas made for difficult navigation, particularly in the second half of the route, which cut through long grass and densely vegetated areas. A good day Botterill and Murphy made the most of their favourable road position to set a time of 3hr 12min 36sec, winning the stage by 55 seconds. 'Today was a great day,' said Botterill. 'We benefited a lot from starting further down, but Dennis was great on the notes, and we managed to put it all together. It was really cool, super fast, high-speed stuff. Navigation was tricky, so I think the guys in front suffered a lot, but that was our story yesterday. 'We capitalised on our position today, pushed really hard, and there were no issues with the car, so a little bit of cleaning up and we'll be good to go.' Just behind them, Variawa and Cazalet posted their best stage result of the event, finishing second on the day. 'It was a really good day,' said Variawa.
