DOUBLE PODIUM FOR TGRSA CREWS ON MARATHON OPENER AT SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY

Stage 2 of the 2025 South African Safari Rally brought a major uplift in form for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA), as both GR Hilux EVO crews delivered exceptional performances in the opening leg of the Marathon Stage. Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy (#211) claimed a commanding stage win, while teammates Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet (#212) followed closely behind in second place — capping a highly successful day for the local squad.

The stage covered 620 kilometres in total, including a 212 km liaison, a 356 km special stage, and a final 55 km 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 entirely on their own ahead of Stage 3.

Stage conditions varied significantly, with fast open grassland sections blending into deep ruts, patches of sand, turf, and short stretches of tarmac. The lack of defined tracks in many areas made for complex navigation, particularly in the second half of the route, which cut through long grass and densely vegetated areas.

Botterill and Murphy, determined to rebound from a difficult Stage 1, 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 quite a lot from starting further down but Dennis was great on the notes and we just managed to put it all together. It was really cool — super fast, high-speed stuff. Navigation was really 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. A little bit of cleaning up and we’ll be good to come and enjoy this fantastic food.”

Just behind them, Variawa and Cazalet posted their best stage result of the event to date, finishing second on the day. “It was a really good day,” said Variawa. “Obviously, starting position helped a little bit. We pushed quite a lot. I think we were leading by about a minute and a half at one point, and we continued to increase the gap. But unfortunately, in the last 120 kilometres, we suffered engine overheating issues. We went through a lot of bushes and the radiators got clogged up, so we had to back off, let the car cool, then push again. We lost a lot of time, but it’s a good result for the team with Guy in first and myself in second. Overall, we are super happy with the performance.”

The result marked a welcome return to form for both TGRSA crews, who now move into stronger positions heading into the second half of the Marathon Stage. Notably, both cars reported clean mechanical health at the finish — a key advantage with no technician assistance available overnight.

With Stage 3 set to bring competitors back to Sun City via a 246 km special, followed by a 263 km liaison, the event remains finely poised. Road conditions are expected to mirror those seen today, with dry and dusty surfaces prevailing across the region. Navigation is again expected to be decisive, with minimal marking on the ground and continued pressure on co-drivers to read the terrain accurately from the roadbook.

The strong performance by both crews saw Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet move up to 12th overall, just 7min 15sec off the lead. Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy, despite a challenging Stage 1 and a penalty, have now climbed to 14th overall, 14min 28sec behind the event leaders.

With Stage 3 closing out the Marathon sequence and the crews returning to the Sun City bivouac, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa is firmly focused on maintaining momentum through the midpoint of the 2025 South African Safari Rally, brought to you by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing.

South Africa Safari Rally 2025 – Stage 2 Results

South African Safari Rally 2025 – Standings after Stage 2