Toyota starts Dakar 2025 with concerns – driver Yacopini injured in a leisure accident – defending champions Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk fit again after crash in Jordan
Toyota is once again represented by a large number of vehicles at this year’s Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. In addition to the top teams, several private drivers are also relying on the proven and robust Hilux T1+. A total of 19 cars are listed in the Ultimate class.
Toyota South Africa, which is responsible for developing 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 enhanced performance on 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. These were Juan Cruz Yacopini/Daniel Oliveiras, Saood Variawa/Francois Cazalet, Guy Botterill/Oriol Mena, and Joao Feirreira/Filipe Palmeiro. But in Saudi Arabia, only three cars will be in the bivouac. A few days before Christmas, a serious leisure accident occurred in Argentina, Yacopini’s home country. He was spending a day with friends at a lake. According to reports from Argentina, Yacopini jumped into the water and hit his head. He suffered 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 therefore not be starting either.
“He’s like a brother to me. The most important thing is Juan’s recovery,” Oliveiras emphasized in Diari de Girona. Given the uncertainty surrounding the injury, the Spaniard also said: “There is a possibility that he may never be able to drive at the highest level again.”
Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk make their comeback
Among the contenders for victory in the Toyota camp are Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk, who are back driving for the Overdrive team. As defending champions, their Hilux will carry the number 201. After their Dakar victory, they experienced a year of ups and downs. They had a serious accident at the Jordan Rally in April. Al-Rajhi broke two vertebrae and Gottschalk also suffered back injuries. Both have since recovered and returned to competition.
Although they retired 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 didn’t get back into a rally car for a long time,” Gottschalk recalls.
But the German is reassuring: “Of course I feel great. I have my doctor’s approval, my back feels good, and I’ve already clocked up a lot of miles on my motorcycle.”
Overdrive has a total of three Hiluxes at the start. In addition to Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk, these are the two Chileans Hernan Garces/Juan Pablo Latrach and the Frenchmen Ronan Chabot/Gilles Pillot. However, they do not have the latest version of the Hilux like the defending champions. There is a new private team in the leading group that is relying on Toyota: Energylandia from Poland. Eryk Goczal caused a sensation in 2023 when he became the youngest driver to win a stage in his class. Ultimately, 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 absent 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 won a total of four overall victories in the Dakar Rally. Nasser Al-Attiyah won in 2019, 2022, and 2023, and Al-Rajhi won in 2025.
