DAKAR RALLY 2026 CONCLUDES IN YANBU AS TOYOTA GAZOO RACING SA DELIVERS ENDURANCE AND FRONT-RUNNING PACE

• Dakar Rally 2026 concluded on Saturday, 17 January, in Yanbu after 13 demanding stages
• TOYOTA GAZOO RACING SA claimed a stage victory and multiple top-ten stage results
• Saood Variawa finished as the top-placed South African driver in the event

The 2026 Dakar Rally drew to a close on Saturday in the coastal town of Yanbu, bringing an end to more than 7,000 kilometres of competition across Saudi Arabia. For TOYOTA GAZOO RACING SA, this year’s event proved to be one of the most demanding in recent memory, with crews contending with relentless rocky terrain, deep dune systems, complex navigation and two gruelling Marathon stages.

All three TGRSA GR Hilux crews reached the finish, underlining both the endurance of the cars and the determination of the team, while consistently demonstrating competitive pace throughout the two-week rally.

Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet led the team’s overall performance, finishing 10th overall and making Variawa the top-placed South African driver at Dakar 2026. Their campaign was highlighted by a hard-fought Stage 8 victory and frequent top-ten stage results. Were it not for a combination of punctures, a damaged driveshaft and time lost in navigation-heavy sections, the pairing showed pace capable of challenging well inside the overall top five.

Reflecting on the rally, Variawa said that while it had been “a very long and tough race”, he was encouraged by the progress made: “It’s my third Dakar and my third finish. We had the pace to be in the top five all the time, we won a stage and that brought confidence back into the team. Some things were out of my control and cost us a lot of time, but I’ve grown a lot and the results are starting to show.” Cazalet added that securing a top-ten finish was a strong outcome: “Dakar is always tricky and different from what you expect, but we pushed until the end and did it clean. It’s close to our objective before the start and we’re happy with that.”

Joao Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro endured one of the toughest Dakar campaigns of their careers, with repeated punctures and an impact with a rock during the second Marathon stage causing extensive damage to the front-right corner of the car and resulting in significant time loss. If not for those incidents, the crew’s raw speed, reflected in several strong stage performances including a seventh place on the final day, pointed to a far stronger overall result.

Ferreira said that while the final classification was disappointing, the experience remained valuable: “It’s not the result the team wanted or deserved for all the work we’ve been doing, but Dakar is tough and we learn a lot. We still have a full W2RC season ahead, many opportunities to fight for wins and stages, and Dakar 2027 is already around the corner.” Palmeiro echoed that sentiment, adding: “We fought and tried to make the best result possible. We finished, and that’s Dakar. Next time we come back stronger and ready to fight for the victory.”

Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena delivered some of the most consistent pace within the TGRSA line-up, regularly running inside the top ten and showing strong speed in dunes and mixed terrain. Their rally, however, was repeatedly interrupted by punctures, navigation challenges and late-stage impacts, including damage sustained on Stage 12 while running inside the top six. If not for those setbacks, the pairing’s pace suggested a far higher overall classification.

Botterill described the event as “a roller coaster”, explaining: “We were in the top ten almost every single stage and then got caught out by a few mishaps. That’s Dakar. It’s a long race and things do go wrong. But the pace is there, the car was strong and there’s a lot to build on.” Mena added that simply reaching the finish remained significant: “It wasn’t the result we expected, but finishing Dakar is important. This makes us stronger for the next edition.”

Team Principal Shameer Variawa praised the collective effort behind the scenes and the robustness of the GR Hilux across the event, noting that the cars had largely run trouble-free despite the harsh conditions. “The pace has been good and we didn’t have many mechanical problems, which shows the work the team put in,” he said. “We had punctures at critical moments and that affected results, but everyone gave it their all. We take what we’ve learned and come back stronger next year.”

Vice-President of Marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors, Glenn Crompton, closed out Dakar 2026 by highlighting the scale of the challenge and the achievement of the team. “The results don’t necessarily reflect the performance of the team,” said Crompton. “Just finishing a Dakar is an incredible achievement. The team delivered on the challenge we set them. Continuous improvement and respect for people are critical for us as a brand, and that’s exactly what this team showed. We’re really proud of them.”

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