Toyota is also represented at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia this year with a variety of vehicles. In addition to the top teams, some private drivers also rely on the proven and robust Hilux T1+. A total of 19 cars are on the entry list in the Ultimate class.
Toyota South Africa, which is responsible for the development of the Hilux, has revised the car in detail. The GR Hilux IMT Evo has been further optimized – with even greater robustness, improved cockpit comfort and increased performance in sandy terrain.
“Our test program with the latest GR Hilux IMT Evo was very extensive,” says team boss Shameer Variawa. “We refined every detail as much as possible.” Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC originally planned to start with four cars.
They were Juan Cruz Yacopini/Daniel Oliveiras, Saood Variawa/Francois Cazalet, Guy Botterill/Oriol Mena and Joao Feirreira/Filipe Palmeiro. But in Saudi Arabia there will only be three cars in the bivouac.
“The most important thing is Juan’s recovery”
A few days before Christmas, a serious recreational accident occurred in Argentina, Yacopini’s homeland. He spent a day with friends at a lake. According to reports from Argentina, Yacopini jumped into the water and hit his head. He sustained spinal injuries.
He is said to be conscious in hospital, but the exact extent of his spinal injuries is not yet known. Toyota withdrew Yacopini’s car and did not nominate a replacement driver. His co-driver Oliveiras will not start either.
“For me he is like a brother. The most important thing is Juan’s recovery,” emphasizes Oliveiras in the Diari de Girona. Due to the uncertainty of the injury, the Spaniard also says: “There is a possibility that he may never be able to compete at the highest level again.”
Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk are back
The contenders for victory in the Toyota camp include Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk, who are driving for the Overdrive team again. As defending champions, their Hilux has the starting number 201. After the Dakar victory, they experienced a year with ups and downs.
There was a serious accident at the Jordan Rally in April. Al-Rajhi broke two vertebrae in his back and Gottschalk also had back injuries. Both have now recovered and took part in competitions again.
Although they were eliminated from the Morocco Rally, they recently won the smaller Bajas in Saudi Arabia, namely the Qassim Baja and the Jeddah Baja. “After our crash in Jordan, I hadn’t been in a rally car for a long time,” Gottschalk looks back.
But the German gave the all-clear: “Of course I feel great. I have the okay from my doctor, my back feels good and I have already clocked up many kilometers on my motorcycle.”
Overdrive has a total of three Hilux at the start. In addition to Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk, these are the two Chileans Hernan Garces/Juan Pablo Latrach and the French Ronan Chabot/Gilles Pillot. But they don’t have the latest version of the Hilux like the defending champions.
There is a new private team in the top field that relies on the Toyota: Energylandia from Poland. Eryk Goczal made a splash in 2023 when he became the youngest rider to win a stage in his class. Finally, he also took overall victory in the side-by-side T4 class.
In 2024, the Goczal family competed in the Challenger T3 class, but their vehicles were disqualified due to technical irregularities. In 2025 they were missing from Saudi Arabia. Now the Goczal family is attacking in the ultimate class. Eryk’s father Marek and uncle Michal also drive a Hilux.
Toyota has claimed a total of four overall victories in the Dakar Rally. Nasser Al-Attiyah won in 2019, 2022 and 2023 and Al-Rajhi in 2025.