World beating SA Dakar team goes local as Lategan & Variyawa join Nasser, Giniel
Toyota Gazoo Racing will enter four crews, including three South African drivers in its race Hiluxes in Dakar 2021.
The SA crews include Giniel de Villiers and his Spanish notes man Alex Haro; rookie Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings and Shameer Variawa and Dennis Murphy. They join Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel aboard the four factory Gazoo Racing Hiluxes. Dakar Saudi Arabia 2021 starts in Jeddah on 3 January and ends on the 15th.
DAKAR EXPERIENCE & EXCITEMENT
The team mixes highly experienced specialist crews, together with relative newcomers to the rally-raid world. A force to be reckoned with, Toyota Gazoo Racing won Dakar 2019, ended second four times, third twice and fifth once.
2019 winners Attiyah and Baumel finished second in Dakar 2020. Nasser aiming to add a third win this year, Giniel his second. South African champion Lategan makes his debut alongside and Cummings, who has twice raced in the motorcycle category. He finished second in the unassisted Malle Moto class in 2014. It will be multiple former SA champions Variyawa’s second start and Murphy’s first.
LATEST GENERATION NOW-LOOK RACE HILUX V8S
The team will race four latest generation new look Toyota Hiluxes. They have a mid-mounted V8 engine, independent rear suspension and all-wheel drive. Built and developed near Kyalami the car has consistently improved, both at Dakar and in the SA championship.
Dakar 2021 once again races in Saudi Arabia on similar terrain to the 2020 edition. Some all-new sections will ensure a competitive race. Two looped stages and the traditional no-service Marathon Stage will return. A new digital road book is to be introduced this year
“We are most excited about the 2021 Dakar Rally,” Team Principal Glyn Hall admits. “We are overjoyed to be entering four proudly South African-built and developed Toyota Hiluxes this year.”
