TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) is set to take on the upcoming Dakar Rally with a strong six-car team, combining the expertise and talent of both TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA). Along with TEAM LAND CRUISER TOYOTA AUTO BODY (TLC) and HINO TEAM SUGAWARA, they are ready for the challenge of the 2025 Dakar Rally.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR)
This year, for Dakar 2025, the team’s approach consists of two distinct components. The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing crew, representing Toyota Motor Europe, features rising stars Lucas Moraes with co-driver Armand Monleon, and Seth Quintero with co-driver Dennis Zenz. This youthful duo embodies TGR’s philosophy of nurturing young talent, providing them with unparalleled experience and opportunities to develop in the world of rally-raid.
Building on their success in the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), where Lucas Moraes and Seth Quintero contributed to Toyota’s victory in the Manufacturer’s Championship, the team heads to the Dakar with a determination to carry the momentum from the W2RC win forward into the new year. As the opening round of the 2025 W2RC season, the Dakar Rally is critical to setting the tone for the championship, making a strong result vital for the team’s title aspirations.
The 2025 Dakar Rally also marks a strengthened partnership with Repsol, who remains a key sponsor to TGR. This partnership reflects TGR’s dedication to sustainable innovation. Repsol demonstrates its expertise in renewable fuels playing a key role in Toyota’s multi-path technology strategy. Supporting a future towards carbon neutrality in motorsports. The Repsol brand will be proudly displayed on the TGR cars and team apparel, symbolizing a shared vision for sustainable motorsport that drives forward the pursuit of renewable energy solutions.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA)
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) will field a four-car team, including Giniel de Villiers partnered with Dirk von Zitzewitz, Henk Lategan with co-driver Brett Cummings, Guy Botterill with co-driver Dennis Murphy, and Saood Variawa with co-driver Francois Cazalet.
Combining the TGR and TGRSA teams brings a comprehensive six-car line-up and forms one of the most versatile and balanced teams to the 2025 Dakar Rally, combining youthful energy with decades of experience in a single outfit.
Quotes TGR team
Andrea Carlucci, Team Principal:
“The 2025 Dakar Rally represents TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s commitment to excellence and innovation. With Repsol joining us as a key partner, we are taking significant strides towards a sustainable future. Our team this year is a blend of youth and experience, which we believe is essential for tackling the challenges of Dakar. The GR DKR Hilux Evo has been meticulously refined, and I’m confident that we are fielding one of the strongest line-ups in this year’s event.”
Lucas Moraes:
“I’m incredibly excited to take on the Dakar Rally once again, especially as part of such a strong team. The GR DKR Hilux Evo is an incredible machine, and with the latest improvements, I feel confident we have everything we need to compete at the highest level. It’s an honor to represent Toyota and to work with partners like Repsol as we drive towards a more sustainable future in motorsport.”
Seth Quintero:
“Being part of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for the 2025 Dakar is a dream come true. Every year, I learn and grow more as a driver, and the Dakar is the ultimate test. With Repsol onboard as a sponsor, it’s exciting to know that we’re contributing to something bigger than just racing – we’re pioneering renewable technologies and proving what’s possible with sustainable energy in motorsport.”
TEAM LAND CRUISER TOYOTA AUTO BODY (TLC) and HINO TEAM SUGAWARA
Reinforcing the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team’s efforts, for the Dakar Rally 2025, TEAM LAND CRUISER TOYOTA AUTO BODY (TLC) will be competing in FIA Stock class with two rally vehicles based on the Land Cruiser 300 GR SPORT and HINO TEAM SUGAWARA will be competing with one vehicle based on the HINO 600 Series.
In January, the 2025 Dakar Rally, promises a route that spans the varied landscapes of Saudi Arabia, taking crews through desert dunes, rocky trails, and high-speed sections across vast open plains. The race will once again test the limits of endurance, navigation, and vehicle performance as it unfolds over 14 grueling stages, with challenges designed to push even the most experienced crews to their limits. As Round 1 of the 2025 W2RC season, a strong performance in Dakar will be instrumental in setting up TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for another successful championship campaign.
GR DKR Hilux Evo
All six crews will compete in the latest iteration of the race-proven GR DKR Hilux Evo. While staying true its trusted and reliable core design that has delivered multiple victories, the 2025 version has undergone meticulous refinements, enhancing even further quality, durability, and reliability – values at the heart of Toyota’s approach. These upgrades are rooted in Toyota’s Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement, with each iteration building on past successes to create a vehicle that can withstand the toughest terrains.
SPECIFICATIONS: GR DKR HILUX EVO (2025)
- Engine
- V35A Production Engine
- Donor
- Land Cruiser 300
- Engine Type
- Twin Turbo, Petrol
- Control Regulation
- Boost Limited by FIA Reference Power Curve
- Power
- 264 kW @ 5,300 rpm
- Torque
- 620 Nm
- Engine Management
- Motec
- Transmission
- Sadev 6-speed, Sequential Shift
- Differentials
- All Limited Slip (front, centre, rear)
- Clutch
- Ceramic Twin Plate, 215 mm
- Construction
- Tubular Frame
- Wheel Base
- 3,140 mm
- Track
- 2,025 mm
- Overall Length
- 4,810 mm
- Overall Width
- 2,300 mm
- Overall Height
- 1,890 mm
- Overall Mass
- 2,010 kg, FIA Regulated Minimum (dry weight)
- Body
- Toyota Hilux Double Cab Pick-Up, Full Composite
- Front Suspension
- Double Wishbone, 350 mm Travel
- Rear Suspension
- Double Wishbone, 350 mm Travel
- Wheels
- Evo Course, 17 inches
- Tyres
- BF Goodrich, 37 inches
- Fuel Tank
- FT3 Safety Cell, 540 litres
| World Championships |
Dakar Rally | -TGR: 6th overall (Guy Botterill / Brett Cummings) -TLC: Eleventh consecutive victory in the production car category (Akira Miura / Mayeul Barbet) -HINO TEAM SUGAWARA: 6th overall in the truck category (Teruhito Sugawara / Hirokazu Somemiya / Yuji Mochizuki) |
|---|---|---|
| FIA World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) |
TGR: Manufacturer champion (TLC and HINO Team Sugawara only participated in Dakar Rally.) |
| Team | No. | Driver / Co-driver | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) |
203 | Driver | Lucas Moraes (Brazil) |
| Co-driver | Armand Monleon (Spain) | ||
| 204 | Driver | Seth Quintero (United States) | |
| Co-driver | Dennis Zenz (Germany) | ||
| TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) |
205 | Driver | Guy Botterill (South Africa) |
| Co-driver | Dennis Murphy (South Africa) | ||
| 206 | Driver | Giniel de Villiers (South Africa) | |
| Co-driver | Dirk von Zitzewitz (Germany) | ||
| 211 | Driver | Henk Lategan (South Africa) | |
| Co-driver | Brett Cummings (South Africa | ||
| 218 | Driver | Saood Variawa (South Africa) | |
| Co-driver | Francois Cazalet (France) | ||
TGR Official Website URL : https://toyotagazooracing.com/dakar/
| Team | No. | Driver / Co-driver | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEAM LAND CRUISER TOYOTA AUTO BODY (TLC) |
500 | Driver | Akira Miura (Japan)* |
| Co-driver | Jean-Michel Polato (France) | ||
| 501 | Driver | Ronald Basso (France) | |
| Co-driver | Jean Pierre Garcin (France) | ||
* Toyota Auto Body Employee
| Team | No. | Driver / Co-driver | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HINO TEAM SUGAWARA | 607 | Driver | Teruhito Sugawara (Japan) |
| Co-driver | Hirokazu Somemiya (Japan) | ||
| Mechanic | Yuji Mochizuki (Japan) | ||
Partners
Red Bull has established itself as the premiere supporter of extreme sports and athletes, and as such fits perfectly with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s Dakar and W2RC efforts. The Austrian energy drink manufacturer has partnered with TGR over numerous years, and the involvement bore fruit when the team won a second Dakar title in January 2022, and a third in 2023.
Repsol supplies fuels to the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team with 70% renewable content, using advanced biofuels with a reduction of the carbon footprint of at least 70%, compared to conventional gasoline. These renewable fuels have been designed and produced at the Repsol Technology Lab in Madrid from renewable waste material. Repsol has a long track-record of producing renewable fuels for both competition and transport, allowing the users to maintain the great performance of the conventional fuels and reducing emissions, at the same time.
All the lessons learned in motorsport allow Repsol to develop and offer high quality products to its end customers. Since 2023, Repsol has been supplying 100% renewable fuel at its service stations in Spain and Portugal, now at 600 stations here the clients can choose to refuel with renewable fuel developed on the basis of the experiences gained on the racetracks and in the desert during the Dakar.
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