Akio Toyoda comment on Dakar Rally 2021
Dakar Rally 2021 has reached its conclusion.
Thank you to all the teams who boldly challenged the harsh course of over 7,000 kilometres and congratulations to everyone who completed the race safely.
Congratulations to all Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body team members for their eighth straight victory following the one-two of last year.
Congratulations to Car No.1 Miura san and Laurent for winning the championship. After the disappointment of last year for the crew, I was very impressed with their strong comeback this year.
Congratulations to Car No. 2 Ronald and Jean who participated in the class for the first time and finished in 2nd place!
Thank you for bringing the Land Cruiser home safely to the end.
In Hino Team Sugawara of Sugawara san, Somemiya san and Mochizuki san, congratulations on winning the class and a 12th consecutive victory.
I was worried about the severe roll in the desert on Stage 3, but I would like to express my respect and gratitude to all the team members who overcame the challenges as a team and continued their efforts to aim for an “ever-better truck” year after year. Thank you so much for the team’s efforts.
I would also like to congratulate to Nasser and Mathieu for taking on the challenge in the Hilux, finishing second overall.
It’s a pity that they were in second place until the end of but couldn’t make a comeback. But I think it’s a wonderful result because they never gave up and continued to trust their partners, the team and people who supported them. Thank you so much.
I think this year’s Dakar is very unique. Under the cloud of the Coronavirus pandemic, everyone involved had to do everything they could to prepare for the unknown.
Organizers have also worked hard to prepare for the event so that the world’s toughest rally will not be extinguished. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the ASOs, local organisers, and all the teams who participated in this year’s event.
I think it was a very significant day for the automobile industry to be able to compete at a rally held under such challenging circumstances. Taking advantage of this experience, we at Toyota will continue our efforts to make ever-better cars.
We’re grateful to all the fans who support us and we appreciate your continued support. Thank you very much to all our fans everywhere.
Akio Toyoda
President, Toyota Motor Corporation
ENDS
