Toyota Gazoo Racing will race in the Dakar Rally with an updated truck. The GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U will be driven by five crews at the rally which include two new rookie drivers. This will be the biggest team Toyota Gazoo Racing has ever fielded at the Dakar Rally. The new vehicle is wider. The air conditioning unit was moved, and the Hilux was outfitted with a new cooling package for redundancy.
Drivers for the team include Giniel de Villiers who brings years of extensive rally experience. Giniel won the rally in 2009 and has fifteen top five finishes. Lucas Moraes and Seth Quintero also join the team. Moraes entered a privately-owned Toyota Hilux in 2023 and spent most of the rally running in second. Moraes ultimately finished third overall.
Seth Quintero and co-driver Dennis Zenz will compete in a TGR Hilux. Quintero has previously competed at the Rally in the SSV class. Other drivers on the team include eighteen-year-old Saood Variawa and Guy Botterill. This will be Botterill’s first Dakar Rally.
