The South Africa-based Toyota Gazoo Racing team will take on the 2023 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia with a three-vehicle Hilux team early in January. Defending champions Nasser al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel will return with newly-crowned South African Rally-Raid Champion Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy, as well as Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings.
The two-week event will mark the start of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) 2023 season, with al-Attiyah to take part in the whole season and De Villiers and Lategan tackling the South African national championship for the rest of the year.
The Dakar is considered the world’s toughest rally raid and next year’s event has 5,000km of special stages.
For the 2023 season, the rules have been changed to close up the field and make competition tougher. To better take on rivals such as the X-Raid Minis and Audi RS Q e-tron hybrids, the Hilux T1+ has been updated to improve its durability and reliability with reinforced differentials and suspension parts.
Dakar 2023 will start on December 31 on the northwest coast of Saudi Arabia before travelling inland towards the city of Ha’il. From there, the route continues in a south-easterly direction, bisecting the feared Empty Quarter, before swinging north to the finish at Dammam on January 15.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
Toyota Gazoo Racing to tackle 2023 Dakar with three-car team
Image: Supplied
The South Africa-based Toyota Gazoo Racing team will take on the 2023 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia with a three-vehicle Hilux team early in January. Defending champions Nasser al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel will return with newly-crowned South African Rally-Raid Champion Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy, as well as Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings.
The two-week event will mark the start of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) 2023 season, with al-Attiyah to take part in the whole season and De Villiers and Lategan tackling the South African national championship for the rest of the year.
The Dakar is considered the world’s toughest rally raid and next year’s event has 5,000km of special stages.
For the 2023 season, the rules have been changed to close up the field and make competition tougher. To better take on rivals such as the X-Raid Minis and Audi RS Q e-tron hybrids, the Hilux T1+ has been updated to improve its durability and reliability with reinforced differentials and suspension parts.
Dakar 2023 will start on December 31 on the northwest coast of Saudi Arabia before travelling inland towards the city of Ha’il. From there, the route continues in a south-easterly direction, bisecting the feared Empty Quarter, before swinging north to the finish at Dammam on January 15.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
MORE:
IndyCar champion Palou to take on McLaren F1 reserve role
Ferrari shake things up again with Binotto departure
TimesLIVE teaming up with Toyota Gazoo Racing at 2022 Killarney 9-Hour
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most read
Latest Videos