Toyota Gazoo Racing ready for the 2025 Dakar Rally

Toyota is preparing to compete in the upcoming Rally Dakar with a six-car team that brings together the experience and talent of Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) and Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA). Alongside Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body (TLC) and Hino Team Sugawara, the representatives of the Japanese automaker are ready to face the challenges and unique demands of this iconic and demanding event.

For the 2025 Rally Dakar, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s strategy is built around two key pillars: investing in talent and maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability. The TGR crew, representing the brand’s European division (Toyota Motor Europe), consists of rising stars Lucas Moraes with co-driver Armand Monleon, and Seth Quintero with co-driver Dennis Zenz.

Both drivers embody TGR’s philosophy of nurturing young talent by giving them opportunities to grow within the world of rally-raid competition. Building on the team’s success in the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), where Lucas Moraes and Seth Quintero helped secure Toyota’s Manufacturers’ title, the team enters the Dakar aiming for similarly strong results.

In addition, the 2025 Rally Dakar marks a strengthening of TGR’s collaboration with Repsol, which remains a key sponsor of the team. This partnership reflects TGR’s dedication to sustainable innovation, as Repsol’s expertise in renewable fuels plays an important role in Toyota’s broader strategy of adopting multiple technological pathways. The Repsol logo will appear on TGR vehicles and team apparel, symbolizing a shared vision for a carbon-neutral future in motorsport.

Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) will compete with a four-car team, with the crews as follows: Giniel de Villiers will be partnered by Dirk von Zitzewitz, Henk Lategan by Brett Cumming, Guy Botterill by Dennis Murphy, and Saood Variawa by Francois Cazalet.

All six drivers will take on the challenge in the latest evolution of the GR DKR Hilux Evo, a proven and highly capable rally-raid vehicle. While maintaining the core characteristics that have contributed to multiple victories, the 2025 version introduces significant improvements that further enhance quality, durability, and reliability.

TGR has once again demonstrated its leadership in the rally-raid world, having been crowned 2024 W2RC Manufacturers’ Champion, achieving its third consecutive title since the championship’s inception in 2022. The success of the GR DKR Hilux Evo, combined with the expertise of TGR’s drivers, co-drivers, and engineers, highlights the team’s unwavering commitment to performance, endurance, and reliability.