Toyota Gazoo Racing ready for Dakar Rally action
Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Dakar Team are ready for action in the 2024 Dakar Rally, which gets under way on Friday (5 January). The crews are already in place in the starting bivouac in the northern Saudi Arabian city of Alula, where the event will begin with a 17.4-mile prologue.
The team’s five new GR DKR Hilux Ev T1U have been fully assembled on site and will undergo a shakedown to confirm all systems are operating as expected before the team complete the required pre-event technical checks.
The driver/co-driver pairings of Lucas Moraes/Armand Monleon and Seth Quitnero/Dennis Zenz are racing in Red Bull colours; Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy, Saood Varaiawa/Francois Cazalet and Guy Botterill/Brett Cummings are competing in Gazoo Racing (GR) livery.
The 12-stage rally will conclude in the coastal city of Yanbu on 19 January; the rest day will be 13 January in the capital, Riyadh.
Team quotes
Alain Dujardyn, TGR W2RC Team Principal: “We are excited to stand at the dawn of a new era for TGR’s Dakar and W2RC team. Not only do we have a new car, in the form of the GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U, we also have four new crews. I wish all of our crews the best of luck, especially those who will also be taking part in the remainder of the W2RC season. We have a great car and a great technical team. Now it is time to go racing. ”
Shameer Variawa, SVR Team Principal : “I’ve completed two Dakar Rallies as a driver, but this year I am pleased to return not only as a Team Principal, but also as a proud father. My son, Saood, will be racing in his first Dakar Rally, and I wish him and Francois a good, clean race. As for the rest of the team, we are excited to see our new GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U in action, and to measure its performance against the competition.”
ENDS
