January 17, 2025
Eurol teams shine with double P2 in Dakar 2025!
Performance of Toyota GAZOO Racing
Henk Lategan and navigator Brett Cummings, along with their teammates Saood Variawa and Francois Cazelet, achieved multiple highlights. Saood made history by becoming the youngest driver ever to win stage in the Ultimate class. In addition Henk and Brett secured victory in the prologue and finished first in the overall standings in a total of eight stages.
Breakthrough in the Empty Quarter
The decisive dune stages in the Empty Quarter ultimately made the difference. Yazeed Al Rajhi, familiar with this challenging region, managed to turn his experience into victory. With just a minimal lead, he clinched the win in the car category, driving a Toyota Hilux T1+.
Toyota GAZOO Racing, however, also faced setbacks. The collision between Saood and teammate Giniel de Villiers in 48-hour Chrono stage, the crash of Guy Botterill, and Giniel's retirement due to health issues with his navigator were notable moments. For Giniel, this marked his final Dakar Rally after an impressive career, with his victory in 2009 as the highlight.
The Toyota Hilux T1+ vehicles, partly due to our Eurol Specialty racing line, once again demonstrated their reliability and power.
Historical achievement for Mitchel van den Brink
Mitchel van den Brink of Eurol Rallysport achieved the best result of his career with his second place in the truck classification! Although the title remained just out of reach, due to the strong performances of Martin Macik, it was exciting up until the last stage. Mitchel managed to secure his spot on the podium despite technical and navigation challenges. His father, Martin van den Brink, finished in sixth place and provided speedy assistance regularly.
Proud of our teams
The Dakar Rally 2025 shows that both our products and partners are top-notch. With our high-quality Eurol Specialty racing line, we contribute to exceptional performances. Together, we continue to build success in the toughest rally in the world!
Final Standings Car Classification Dakar 2025:
| 1. Y. Al Rajhi | 52:52:15 hours |
| 2. HENK LATEGAN | +3:57 min |
| 3. M. Ekstrom | +20:21 min. |
| 20. SAOOD VARIAWA | +9:29:56 hours |
Final ranking Truck classification Dakar 2025:
| 1. M. Macik | 58:42:58 hours |
| 2. MITCHEL VAN DEN BRINK | + 2:21:13 hours |
| 3. A. Loprais | + 2:26:32 hours |
| 6. MARTIN VAN DEN BRINK | + 07:50:43 hours |