Brazilian Lucas Moraes was the revelation of the 2023 Dakar, running second for most of the rally in a privately entered Toyota Hilux, but eventually placing third overall, making him one of the rookies most successful in the history of the Dakar Rally.
American Seth Quintero has been described as a rallying prodigy and one of the greatest talents of the current group of emerging drivers. His undeniable pace, coupled with a wealth of experience that belies his youth, make him one of the most attractive talents in the bivouac, and TGR is excited to see what the fast young driver can achieve behind the wheel of the new GR DKR Hilux EVO. T1U. Seth will have German co-driver Dennis Zenz alongside him in the car and they will aim to complete their fourth Dakar together.
Both young teams will look to build on the experience offered to the team by Giniel de Villiers, who won the Dakar Rally in 2009. Giniel has an unrivaled record in the event, having completed 20 Dakars to date. He has finished in the Top 10 nineteen times, achieved eight podiums and fifteen Top 5s. He will again partner with Dennis Murphy of South Africa, as he has been since Dakar 2022. The pair also won the SARRC title together in 2022 .
Toyota Argentina sends a new Hilux to Antarctica to support scientific activities
They will be joined by young racing sensation, South African Saood Variawa and his co-driver, Francois Cazalet. The last team in the line-up is made up of Guy Botterill and his co-driver Brett Cummings.
New GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U
The new Hilux is 100mm wider than its predecessor and features several improvements. Special attention has been paid to the suspension and the air conditioning unit has been relocated for greater efficiency. Additionally, the vehicle has been fitted with a new cooling package, allowing for greater redundancy.
Toyota’s focus on quality, durability and reliability was a key factor in the development of the new car.
As such, it has been in constant development throughout the year and TGR teams have completed almost 30,000 km of racing and testing in the 2023 W2RC and SARRC season.
Additional testing was carried out in the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa, and considerable test mileage was added in the Namib Desert as part of its final preparations for the Dakar Rally, ahead of next year’s W2RC.
Newly developed biofuel
At the same time, the team has also been integrating its plans for a more sustainable future, with an eye on the Dakar Future project. As part of its commitment to this project, the TGR Dakar Team has partnered with Repsol to achieve the required objectives well before the 2026 deadline.
Toyota’s focus on quality, durability and reliability was a key factor in the development of the new car
Repsol supplies TGR with fuels with 70% renewable content, using advanced biofuels with a carbon footprint reduction of at least 70%, compared to conventional gasoline. These renewable fuels have been designed and produced at the Repsol Technology Laboratory in Madrid from renewable waste, such as used cooking oil. They have been produced in facilities certified under the EU ISCC sustainability scheme, and both the raw materials and production processes meet the sustainability requirements of the European Renewable Energy Directive.
TGR has been a research and development partner of Repsol for the last 18 months. First with bench tests and then exhaustive field tests of the Repsol Renewable Fuel 70R+ in various locations, recently concluding the last tests prior to the Dakar in Namibia. The mixture used by the team was formulated exclusively for TGR, in accordance with FIA regulations.
Dakar 2024 will begin on January 5, with a short prologue near the northern city of Alula. Six tough stages will follow the prologue, including an innovative ’48 Hour Chrono’ stage, which is essentially an extended marathon stage. This will be followed by the traditional day of rest, which will again take place in the Saudi capital, Riyadh (January 13, 2024). Six more stages will take the rally back to the northern part of the country, before the event comes to a close in the coastal city of Yanbu on January 19.
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